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ccording to the Ministry of Overseas Pakistanis, 6.3 million Pakistanis are living, studying and working in different countries around the world. Dawn reported recently that the State Bank of Pakistan claimed receiving US$13.33 billion in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, which was 15 percent growth in remittances.

For this reason I have called them '€˜benevolent'€™ Pakistanis. Unfortunately, our government seems malevolent against their benevolence, especially where education is concerned.

Overseas Pakistanis are charged 40 to 50 percent higher compared with the local self-finance scheme by public-sector medical colleges and universities.

An overseas Pakistani I know suffered because of this regarding the admission of his daughter. He said that since he is a doctor, he might '€” just might '€” be able to pay an amount as high as Rs1.2 million per year. But he wondered how low-cadre workers among overseas Pakistanis will be able to pay so much for the admission of their children.

He said, '€œOverseas students are deducted 20 percent marks from their intermediate and matriculation in the name of an equivalence certificate that makes it tough to compete own merit.'€ Why are overseas Pakistanis discriminated against by our government?

The government should make a uniform admission policy in all public-sector medical colleges and universities so that overseas Pakistanis don'€™t suffer.

Hassan Ali Syed
Dawn/ANN/Hyderabad