US scholarships to continue for KP, Fata students

The US Consulate General here has said the cancellation of Ambassador Cameron Munter’s speech at the University of Peshawar by the Pakistan government due to security reasons would not have any effect on US support for underprivileged students in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata). A press release by the US Consulate General said: “Local and national media have reported statements from the University of Peshawar’s Chairman of Political Science alleging that thousands of U.S.-funded scholarships for university students were withdrawn following the cancellation of Ambassador Cameron Munter’s visit to the university. These statements are not factual.” According to the press release, since 2008 USAID’s FATA Livelihoods Programme has provided scholarships to more than 1,360 students across the region. It said over 90 percent of these scholarships have assisted students from low-income households who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to continue their education.The United States is committed to continuing to work with the Pakistani government to improve educational opportunities for KP and FATA’s talented youth, the press release added.