Pakistani foundation welcomes another batch of Palestinian students for medical studies

By Islamuddin Sajid

ISLAMABAD (AA) - A Pakistani foundation on Friday welcomed another group of Palestinian students who arrived in Islamabad to pursue medical studies in Pakistan.

Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan announced on X that the fourth batch of 24 Palestinian medical students had arrived to complete their education.

"Alkhidmat top leadership welcomed the students at Islamabad International Airport. In the last four days, 128 Palestinian medical students have arrived in Pakistan in three different batches," it said.

An additional 64 students are expected to arrive in the coming days, bringing the total to 192 students who will complete their medical studies in Pakistan.

On Monday, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif also welcomed the first group of Palestinian students to Islamabad.

“Pakistan warmly welcomes Palestinian medical students for completion of their studies. Their presence further strengthens the bonds of solidarity between our peoples. We stand firmly with the people of Palestine in support of their inalienable rights to education, health, and a brighter future for all,” Sharif wrote in a post on X.

In July, Pakistan pledged to provide scholarships to Palestinian medical students from war-torn Gaza, offering them an opportunity to pursue their education in South Asia as the conflict disrupts life in their homeland.

AlKhidmat Foundation, a major Pakistani relief organization, partnered with International Rafah University Islamabad to offer scholarships to over 100 students from Gaza, following an agreement signed with the Palestinian Embassy in Islamabad in June.

The foundation, already active in Gaza and Egypt through collaborations with Turkish and Egyptian relief organizations, is managing the scholarship program.

Since Israel launched its war against Hamas in Gaza October 2023, it has killed more than 42,400 Palestinians and injured more than 99,000 more, most of them women and children.

Israel is facing a genocide case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) for its war on the besieged enclave, where millions of Palestinians are displaced, facing famine and acute shortages of medical aid and other essentials.