ISLAMABAD: Pakistan is planning to offer scholarships to students of Bangladesh in the country`s top ranked universities.

An official of the education ministry said the ministry was going to contact the top ranked universities to finalise a proposal of offering scholarships to Bangladeshi students.

He said in this regard, the Pakistani high commissioner met with officials of the Bangladeshi government in Dhaka. The official said this initiative was taken on the request of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to encourage Bangladeshi students to study in Pakistan`s top institutions.

`Yes, we are holding discussions,` said another officer of the education ministry.

When asked about the numbers of scholarships, he said: `We are at the initial stage, but surely it [scholarships] will be a sizable number.

It is relevant to note here that Pakistan through the Higher Education Commission was already offering hundreds of scholarships to Afghan and Sri Lankan students under two separate projects of the federal government.