LAHORE – Foreign education and immigration consultant Izhar Ahmad Khan has said that European countries were offering free-of-cost education to foreign students and Pakistani students after doing Intermediate with 60 percent or above marks could avail this facility without any hassle. He said that at present 10 to 15 thousand students from Pakistan are going UK annually to get higher education. He said that student immigration should be encouraged at government level and ‘professionals exchange programmes should be started between Pakistan and European countries to get more skill and education. Izhar Khan was of the view that studying aboard was wish of every student but it was being presented by visa consultants a very hard goal to achieve. He said that in Germany not only education was free but foreign students were being given working allowance for 80 hours per month and permission of full time working during holidays. Not only these facilities but on completion of education, work permit with job was also being offered to students, he added.Stressing upon the need of foreign education, he said that it was very necessary for the development of the country since Quaid-i-Azam and Allama Iqbal were foreign qualified who got an independent piece of land for Muslims. Khan dispelled the impression that sending students abroad was parallel to brain drain. He said rather it was a brain development. He said that Germany was a country where there were ample chances for foreign students to get free and quality education and no charges were being taken from them in Pakistan. He also offered services of UK-based firm Carrier Information Network (CIN), operating in Lahore, for students seeking admission in European countries.  Talking about immigration industry he said that government should put this industry under certain ministries like Ministry of Trade and Investment or Ministry of Labour and Manpower.          - A Contributor