Home / In the Media / Chai, Toast aur Host – Dawn News
From Potential to Possibility
IBA Karachi on Dawn News' Chai, Toast aur Host – a Ramadan conversation on merit, access, and why giving to education changes everything | Wednesday, 25 February 2026
FEATURED IN THIS EPISODE:
Dr. S. Akbar Zaidi | Executive Director, IBA Karachi
Ms. Malahat Awan | Director, Alumni Affairs & Advancement, IBA Karachi
Abdul Qudoos Jagirani | NTHP Scholar, IBA Karachi
About This Appearance
IBA Karachi's Executive Director Dr. S. Akbar Zaidi, Director of Alumni Affairs & Resource Mobilization Ms. Malahat Awan, and NTHP scholar Abdul Qudoos Jagirani appeared on Dawn News' Chai, Toast aur Host – one of Pakistan's highest-rated Ramadan morning transmissions, for a conversation on merit, access, and the community that makes it possible.
Dr. Zaidi reflected on IBA's seven decades as Pakistan's benchmark for business education. Admission is among the most competitive in the country, deliberately designed to identify capable minds regardless of background. The goal, he said, has always been to ensure financial circumstances never stand in the way, a standard IBA has held since its founding. He also noted with pride, the growing presence and performance of female students at IBA, who are consistently excelling academically and entering the workforce as confident professionals. IBA's distinction lies not just in degrees, but in cultivating a genuine love for knowledge and lifelong critical thinking in its students.
Ms. Malahat Awan explained something that sets IBA apart: once a student is admitted, IBA takes full responsibility for them. Admission is the beginning of the relationship, not the end. If a student demonstrates financial need, IBA steps in through scholarships, financial assistance grants with the support of a wide community of donors which include government institutions, corporate partners, and over 22,000 alumni.
"We enroll students from all sorts of communities. These students are gems – IBA simply polishes them to create better and wider impact." – Ms. Malahat Awan , Director, Alumni Affairs & Advancement
Ms. Malahat Awan described the NTHP as IBA's agenda for diversity and inclusion — a structured, nationwide programme that goes beyond Karachi to find Pakistan's brightest students in its most underserved communities.
The most memorable moment of the appearance came from Abdul Qudoos Jagirani himself, one of 16 siblings from Larkana, who spoke about how the NTHP changed the direction of his life. He is currently studying at IBA as an NTHP scholar, has participated in international exchange programmes, and is well on his way to building a future his family could never have imagined.
"I come from a family where paying for IBA was simply not possible. NTHP didn't just give me a scholarship — it gave me a future I can now pass on." – Abdul Qudoos Jagirani, NTHP Scholar, IBA Karachi
