Abida Shaheen
Islamabad: Pakistan and Kazakhstan this week reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening bilateral ties through expanded cooperation in education, human capital development and youth empowerment, with both countries highlighting the importance of investing in future generations as a cornerstone of their growing strategic partnership.
Speaking at a ceremony hosted by the Pakistan Education Endowment Fund (PAK-EEF) to acknowledge US$1 million in humanitarian assistance provided by the Government of Kazakhstan, Minister of State for Federal Education and Professional Training Wajiha Qamar said the two countries were entering a new phase of collaboration following the elevation of their bilateral relations to a Strategic Partnership.
The event was attended by Kazakhstan’s Ambassador to Pakistan, Yerzhan Kistafin, PAK-EEF Chief Executive Officer Hajra Suhail, representatives of Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and senior officials from the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training.
Expressing gratitude to the government and people of Kazakhstan, Wajiha Qamar described the humanitarian contribution as a reflection of the enduring friendship, mutual trust and steadily expanding strategic partnership between Islamabad and Astana.
She said the assistance complemented Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Education Emergency initiative, which seeks to ensure that every child in Pakistan has access to quality education and market-oriented skills required for future employment and national development.
The minister noted that the recently upgraded Pakistan-Kazakhstan Strategic Partnership had opened new opportunities for collaboration in education, scholarships, technical and vocational training, academic exchanges and human capital development.
She said partnerships with friendly countries such as Kazakhstan would reinforce Pakistan’s efforts to modernise its education sector, strengthen skills development and equip young people with the knowledge needed to contribute to sustainable economic growth.
PAK-EEF Chief Executive Officer Hajra Suhail said Kazakhstan’s humanitarian assistance reflected the deep friendship and mutual confidence shared by the two countries, reaffirming the fund’s commitment to implementing educational programmes with transparency, merit and accountability.
She added that the partnership would create meaningful educational opportunities for deserving students while further enhancing bilateral cooperation in the education sector.
Addressing the ceremony, Ambassador Yerzhan Kistafin reaffirmed Kazakhstan’s commitment to expanding collaboration with Pakistan in education, scholarship programmes and people-to-people exchanges, describing investment in education as an investment in a peaceful, prosperous and shared future for both nations.
