The Central Development Working Party (CDWP) has stopped the Higher Education Commission (HEC) from executing the decision of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to offer scholarships to Thai Muslims teachers and students at a cost of Rs 100 million and also chided HEC Chairman Dr Attaur Rehman for overstepping his mandate. "This is not your mandate, Mr Rehman, to offer scholarships to foreign students from HEC resources meant for Pakistani students," read the CDWP decision seen by Daily Times. Mr Aziz announced the scholarships for 25 Thai Muslim teachers and 50 students at the signing of a joint declaration with his Thai counterpart during a recent visit to Singapore. The CDWP, which met here recently to take up 52 development projects, dismissed the project on the grounds that it was not in the HEC's mandate to offer scholarships to foreign students. After a long and heated discussion, Mr Rehman was made to withdraw the project.