On September 1, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ordered universities and colleges to send enrolled Afghan students home, barring them from new admissions, transfers, or migrations for the current academic year. More than 200 Afghan students are currently enrolled in Pakistani medical or dental colleges, according to the PMDC, with most impacted by the abrupt directive that left many facing sudden expulsion and eviction notices within days.
The regulatory action upended the lives of top-scoring Afghan scholars who arrived in Pakistan through programs like the Allama Iqbal Scholarship, run by Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistani embassy in Kabul. Alishba, a medical student working a maternity ward night shift in Lahore, received messages about the expulsions on September 8. By morning, she discovered her name on a college expulsion list circulating on Facebook, giving her less than three days to leave.
Did You Know? More than 2.4 million Afghan nationals have returned since Pakistan launched the Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan in late 2023, according to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
According to the PMDC, only 22 Afghan students are currently registered with the regulator, including 14 who have graduated and eight about to graduate. Students maintain they were never informed about a mandatory PMDC registration requirement upon arrival. Rizwan, a final-year medical student in Rawalpindi, explained that universities handle registration data submissions rather than students, leaving many caught in a backlog resulting from past regulatory restructuring.
Human Rights Watch senior associate Asia director Patricia Gossman condemned the order as shockingly short-sighted and cruel. Meanwhile, former special representative for Afghanistan Asif Durrani urged officials on X to reverse the decision on humanitarian grounds, and Afghanistan’s Taliban government chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid called the policy inhumane while offering assistance to returning students.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why are Afghan medical students being expelled from Pakistan?
The PMDC ordered colleges to send enrolled Afghan students home because the regulator states only 22 foreign students are currently registered with its office, citing compliance gaps during admissions.
How many Afghan students are affected by the order?
According to the PMDC, more than 200 Afghan students are currently enrolled across Pakistani medical and dental colleges, facing mid-degree dismissals and eviction notices.
What have human rights organizations and officials said about the decision?
Human Rights Watch criticized the directive as cruel and short-sighted, while former diplomats and Afghanistan’s Taliban government urged authorities to reverse the order on humanitarian grounds.
How will these sudden administrative expulsions impact the future of female medical education in the region?