PNP Condemns Cuts in Medical Seats for FATA and Balochistan Students, Promises Action in National Assembly

Quetta (Daily Qudrat) – The Pashtunkhwa National Awami Party (PNP) has expressed strong concern and protest over the recent reduction of medical seats allocated for students from Central Pashtunkhwa, former FATA, and Baloch-Pashtun regions, calling it a clear example of education-hostile policies.

In a press release from the PNP provincial secretariat, the party described the cuts as open injustice to talented youth from underdeveloped areas, jeopardizing the future of thousands of students. The release highlighted that late Senator Osman Khan Kakak had previously fought to restore these seats, ensuring that students from marginalized regions could access higher medical education. However, successive governments have gradually reduced these allocations, showing discriminatory treatment.

Recently, a delegation of affected students met with PNP Chairman and National Assembly member Khushal Khan Kakak in Islamabad, who assured them that he would raise the issue in the National Assembly and other relevant forums. According to the press release, in 2018, PMDC had allocated 333 medical seats through Osman Khan Kakak’s efforts, with a promise to increase them to 666 seats after five years. Contrary to this commitment, the government reduced the seats to only 121, causing widespread disappointment and a sense of deprivation among students.

The party emphasized that students from these regions already face significant educational and economic challenges, and further reducing seats undermines their opportunities for a bright future. PNP demanded that the federal government and relevant authorities restore the promised 666 seats immediately, warning that failure to do so could lead to democratic protests in parliament, courts, and public demonstrations to address the injustice toward students from underprivileged areas.