Courts suspend PMDC orders requiring Afghan medical students to return to Afghanistan

ISLAMABAD / QUETTA: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday suspended an expulsion order against Afghan national Dr Imadud Din, halted his deportation from Pakistan and directed that he be allowed to continue his postgraduate medical training. IHC Justice Khadim Hussain Soomro granted the interim relief while hearing a constitutional petition filed by Dr Imadud Din’s wife, Mehar Zahoor, a Pakistani citizen, who challenged a notification issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) seeking the repatriation of Afghan students enrolled in medical and dental institutions. During the hearing, the petitioner’s counsel, Barrister Qasim Nawaz Abbasi, argued that the PMDC communication dated July 31, 2026, could not be applied retrospectively to doctors already undergoing training. He contended that the petitioner’s husband was not a fresh applicant but an already enrolled trainee in the fifth year of his FCPS-II training in urology at Quaid-i-Azam Medical College (QAMC) and Bahawal Victoria Hospital (BVH), Bahawalpur. BHC dismisses petitions by Afghan medical students; notes they don’t have absolute right to remain, study in Pakistan The counsel informed the court that the competent authority at QAMC, on the recommendation of the head of department, had formally granted Dr Imadud Din an extension in his postgraduate training from Feb 28, 2026, to Feb 27, 2027. Barrister Abbasi argued that the impugned communication directed institutions to initiate measures for the repatriation of Afghan students, a move that would cause irreparable professional and financial loss to the petitioner’s family, which included two children. He maintained that while the petitioner did not object to future policies regulating admissions, trainees already enrolled and those granted extensions should be permitted to complete their training. The counsel emphasised that terminating Dr Imadud Din’s training without prior notice or a meaningful opportunity of hearing violated constitutional guarantees under Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 14 and 35. After hearing the arguments, Justice Soomro suspended the operation of the impugned communication to the extent of its application to Dr Imadud Din and restrained the respondents from terminating, discontinuing or obstructing his ongoing postgraduate training solely based on the PMDC letter. The court adjourned the proceedings and issued notices to the secretary of the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination, the president and registrar of the PMDC, the principal of Quaid-i-Azam Medical College, and the secretary of Punjab’s Specialised Healthcare and Medical Education Department, seeking their responses. BHC dismisses pleas Meanwhile, the Balochistan High Court on Tuesday dismissed constitutional petitions seeking permission for Afghan nationals to continue medical and dental education, as well as postgraduate training, in Pakistan. A two-member bench comprising Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri announced the verdict on two petitions filed by Afghan students, upholding the state policy concerning the stay and education of foreign nationals in Pakistan. The court held that foreign nationals did not have an absolute or permanent right to remain, study or undergo professional training in Pakistan in a manner contrary to state policy. The bench also declined to interfere with directions issued by the PMDC concerning the admission, transfer and facilitation of Afghan nationals in medical institutions. The court observed that matters relating to immigration, the return of foreign nationals and national security primarily fell within the domain of the executive authorities. However, it stressed that Afghan nationals must be treated with human dignity and fairness and in accordance with the law. The petitions were dismissed at the preliminary stage. Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2026

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Monday suspended Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC) directives ordering Afghan medical students to return to their country until the next hearing on Sept 29. A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Adnan-ul-Karim Memon, heard the case after three Afghan students filed a petition challenging the PMDC notification as being without jurisdiction. The PMDC issued a notification on September 1, directing Afghan medical students enrolled in Pakistani colleges “to return to Afghanistan”. The notification also barred medical and dental colleges from granting admission or placement to Afghan students for the current academic session. The respondents listed in the petition include the state, the Ministry of Interior, the PMDC, the Higher Education Commission (HEC), Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS), the inspector general of Sindh police and the SHO of Eidgah police station in Karachi. The court subsequently issued notices to the respondents, the additional attorney general and advocate general Sindh for Sept 29. “In the meanwhile, the impugned notices shall remain suspended and till then, no coercive action shall be taken by the respondents against the petitioners,” the order added. The three students are enrolled at DUHS under the Allama Mohammad Iqbal Scholarship Programme and are expected to graduate in April 2027. The petition stated that the students hold valid Pakistani visas on their Afghan passports for the duration of their studies. The petition argued that the impugned actions violated Articles 4, 9, 10-A, 14 and 25 of the Constitution of Pakistan. Article 4 of the Constitution guarantees equal treatment to every person present in Pakistan. Articles 9 and 14 guarantee the rights to life, liberty and dignity to every person in Pakistan, irrespective of their citizenship status. Article 10-A guarantees the right to a fair trial and due process, while Article 25 prohibits discrimination. The petition further argued that the female petitioners would face gender-based persecution and an absolute ban on female education in Afghanistan. “The respondents’ assertion that repatriation will ‘enable continuation of studies’ is factually false and absurd,” it said. “Forced return of female scholars would permanently destroy their educational and professional futures, condemn them to a life of dependency and marginalisation, and expose them to severe gender-based discrimination and persecution.” The petition further prayed that the SHC declare the PMDC’s orders and DUHS’s notices “unconstitutional, ultra vires, arbitrary, without lawful authority and of no legal effect against the petitioners”. The petitioners urged the court to direct the respondents to allow them to continue their MBBS studies, attend clinical rotations, reside in college hostels and appear in examinations without hindrance or harassment. They also prayed the court to “restrain the respondents from taking any action against the petitioners that may directly or indirectly impede the completion of their MBBS degrees in Pakistan and their stay at hostel premises”.

PESHAWAR: Afghan medical students studying in Pakistani colleges have expressed concern over directives from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to return to their country and appealed to the government to allow the already enrolled students to complete their degrees, especially female students, who have no prospects of continuing their education back home. “Currently, about 1,000 Afghan students, including 350 girls, have been pursuing education in medical and dental colleges in Pakistan. The PMDC’s notification asking us to return to our country has caused unrest among us, particularly female students,” said Anayatullah Momand, final-year MBBS student at the Khyber Medical College. Mr Momand, spokesperson for Afghan medical students, said an estimated 200 students who have completed their house jobs and are waiting to be enrolled in specialisation programmes were also among those affected. “The government should allow the currently enrolled students to complete their studies and save their future. We don’t object to Pakistan’s policy of barring Afghans from education here, but the old students should be exempted,” he said. Say PMDC has asked about 1,000 students to return to their home country “Our immense concern is female students who, if sent back to Afghanistan, will sit in homes because there is no education for women due to the Taliban ban,” he said. “All of us had valid visas, and many of the students whose visas had expired have applied for renewal,” he said. According to him, all Afghans have been admitted to colleges on merit. “Some have arrived in Pakistan on scholarship, while others on Afghan national seats reserved by the Pakistan government, and still others are studying under the Pakistan Technical Assistance Programme for Afghans.” “In a recent meeting, the Afghan ambassador to Pakistan told us that they will give us admission in Afghanistan’s medical and dental colleges in case of our repatriation, but we don’t need Afghan medical degrees, which aren’t recognised internationally,” Mr Momand said. “We asked the ambassador what the future will be for female students back home and he had no answer,” he said. “The ball is in the court of Pakistan’s government.” Najma Bibi, a third-year student, said that the danger is not over yet. “Though the Lahore High Court has suspended the PMDC’s directives of July 31 and September 1, which asked the colleges to stop admitting Afghan students, it is a temporary relief,” she said. Bibi, who is one of the 22 students of King Edwards Medical University, which ordered the Afghan nationals to vacate the campus on Sept 7, said the PMDC should take pity on hundreds of Afghans, especially female students, and reconsider its decision. “The decision aims to send us to the Stone Age because the Taliban in Afghanistan have banned women’s education,” said another student on condition of anonymity. A 3rd-year MBBS student, she came to Pakistan two years ago on the Allama Iqbal Scholarship offered by Pakistan, with the hope to complete her education and serve women back home. “However, these past few months have been like hell, and we still face the risk of eviction from Pakistan,” she said. A first-year female student said that her dream of becoming a doctor is unlikely to get materialised given the threats they are facing. “Pakistan should realise our problem, as going back can land us in a hard and challenging situation and even we can face prosecution,” she said. On Sept 1, PMDC had asked the medical and dental colleges that enrolled Afghan students to return to Afghanistan, in accordance with the prevailing policy directions. The institutions concerned shall ensure that necessary administrative formalities, including issuance of the requisite No-Objection Certificate and facilitation of their departure, are completed accordingly, the directive said. Published in Dawn, September 14th, 2026

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday suspended the operation of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC) directives ordering Afghan medical students to return to the neighbouring country. The decision came from Justice Khalid Ishaq, who was hearing a set of petitions filed by 13 Afghan students enrolled at different institutions in Lahore, including King Edward Medical University, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College and the Services Institute of Medical Sciences. The pleas were filed after the PMDC issued a notification in September 1, directing Afghan medical students enrolled in Pakistani colleges “to return to Afghanistan”. The notification also barred medical and dental colleges from granting admission or placement to Afghan students for the current academic session. In their pleas, the students referred to the Sept 1 notification, as well as a similar July 31 directive by the PMDC, and requested the LHC to declare them “illegal and unconstitutional”, without lawful authority and void from inception. On Friday, Advocate Asad Jamal, who was representing the petitioners, contended that the students had been condemned unheard and their rights to education, life and dignity had been violated as the council had transgressed it’s jurisdiction under the PMDC Act. He said the petitioners’ fundamental rights should be treated in accordance with law. On the other hand, the council’s lawyer, Haris Azmat, argued against the suspension of the directives, saying that it was a matter of national security. Justice Ishaq, however, rejected the argument and ordered that the operation of Sept 1 and July 31 directives by the PMDC should be suspended. He further directed that students be allowed to continue education, sit their examinations and return to hostels. The judge also sought replies from the respondents, including the PMDC, the health ministry and the vice chancellors of the medical varsities and colleges in question, at the next hearing on September 18. The pleas The petitioners, comprising seven women and six men, filed the petitions through Advocate Jamal on Thursday. They said they had been removed from their colleges on the PMDC’s instructions, arguing that the council and the medical colleges lac­ked the legal authority to expel them. They argued that the PMDC’s powers, as the top regulatory body under the PMDC Act 2023, must be exercised within the bounds of the Constitution and Pakistan’s international legal obligations. They said neither the 2023 Act nor constitutional or international principles permitted the council to act arbitrarily, particularly against students who had already spent years pursuing their medical education in Lahore and other areas of Punjab. Nilofar Nikzad, one of the petitioners, said she had completed two years of medical studies in Afghanistan before being forced to abandon her education because of Taliban restrictions on women’s access to education. The petitioners said the sudden and disruptive process had led to their eviction from hostels by their respective colleges, leaving them without accommodation while their academic futures hung in the balance. They said the PMDC directives had caused significant distress among Afghan medical students studying across Pakistan, prompting them to seek recourse from the courts as a last resort. The petitioners asked the LHC to declare two PMDC directives, issued on July 31 and Sept 1, “illegal and unconstitutional”. Multiple petitioners who have approached the LHC hold scholarships under the Higher Education Commission (HEC)-sponsored Allama Iqbal Scholarship Programme. In July 2025, the HEC held a reception to welcome around 350 Afghan students arriving in Pakistan to pursue their studies. A health ministry official told Dawn earlier this week than an “in principle” decision had been made to send Afghan students enrolled in Pakistani medical universities back to their country, due to the ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. No decision by govt to return all Afghan students: FO Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan on Thursday denied that the government had ordered all Afghan medical students to leave Pakistan, but stopped short of confirming whether those affected by the PMDC directive had valid visas and registrations. “There is no such decision by the government to return all the Afghan students,” Khan told reporters at a weekly briefing in Islamabad. He said Afghan students could remain in Pakistan if they were enrolled in a valid degree programme and held valid visas. “Of course, if a student is enrolled in Pakistan in a valid degree programme and holds a valid visa, he or she can stay here and complete their education,” Khan said. However, when asked specifically about the status of students affected by the PMDC directive, the spokesman referred the matter to the medical regulator. “Going back to your question, the PMDC has issued the letter. I would refer you to the PMDC,” he said, advising reporters to ask the council whether the students held valid registrations and visas. “There is no blanket ban on Afghan students,” Khan said, reiterating that those holding valid visas and registered in recognised degree programmes would be allowed to complete their education in Pakistan. Advocate Jamal earlier claimed in a post on X that there was “no distinction made between valid visa and invalid stay by PMDC in its directives”. Meanwhile, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the PMDC decision, warning that the move could turn an education policy into a humanitarian crisis. It said around 100 Afghan medical and dental students in Lahore alone could be affected, including an estimated 20 to 40 women. Deportation drive Millions of Afghans have poured into Pakistan over the past several decades, fleeing successive wars, as well as hundreds of thousands who arrived after the return of the Tali­ban government in 2021. A deportation drive first launched in 2023 was renewed in April last year when the government rescinded hun­dreds of thousands of residence permits for Afghans, warning them of arrests if they did not leave. Last year alone, over a million Afghan nationals were deported by Pakistan, a Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan and States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) was informed. Pakistan deported a total of 1,155,221 Afghan nationals in 2025, top officials of the Ministry of Interior and Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees told the meeting. The repatriated Afghans included 163,429 proof of registration card holders, 74,943 Afghan citizen card holders, 509,671 undocumented individuals and 407,178 voluntary returnees. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), the repatriations appear to have picked up pace in the current year, with nearly 150,000 Afghans returning home from Pakistan and Iran by mid-February 2026. These returns added to the 5.4 million Afghans who have gone back to Afghanistan from the same two neighbouring countries since October 2023. In June, the Ministry of Interior issued a directive to immediately arrest any Afghan national “found residing in Pakistan without a valid visa”.

LAHORE: Thirteen Afghan medical students on Thursday filed multiple petitions before the Lahore High Court (LHC), challenging directives from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that ordered their return to Afghanistan. The petitioners, comprising seven women and six men, filed the petitions through Advocate Asad Jamal. They were enrolled at different institutions in Lahore, including King Edward Medical University, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical & Dental College and the Services Institute of Medical Sciences. The petitioners said they were removed from their colleges on PMDC’s instructions, with the council acting as the top regulatory body under the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Act 2023. They argued that PMDC and the medical colleges lacked the legal authority to expel the students. The petitioners argued that PMDC’s powers must be exercised within the bounds of the Constitution and Pakistan’s international legal obligations, and that neither the 2023 Act nor constitutional or international principles permitted the council to act arbitrarily, particularly against students who had already invested years in their medical education in Lahore and across Punjab. Many of the petitioners hold scholarships under the Higher Education Commission (HEC)-sponsored Allama Iqbal Scholarship programme. The HEC, in July 2025, held a reception to welcome around 350 Afghan students arriving in Pakistan to pursue their studies. Nilofar Nikzad, one of the petitioners, said she had completed two years of medical studies in Afghanistan before being forced to abandon her education there because of Taliban restrictions on women’s access to education. The petitioners said the sudden and disruptive process led to their evictions from hostels by their respective colleges and left them without accommodation as their academic futures hung in the balance. They said the PMDC’s directives had caused significant distress among Afghan medical students studying across Pakistan, prompting them to seek recourse from the courts as a last resort. The petitioners requested the LHC to decide on two PMDC directives, issued on July 31 and September 1, and declare them “illegal and unconstitutional”, without lawful authority and void from inception. “The impugned orders are discriminatory against women and all other Afghan students present in Pakistan,” one of the petitions claimed. The petitions are yet to be fixed for hearing by the LHC registrar’s office. PMDC order On September 1, PMDC issued a notification directing Afghan medical students enrolled in Pakistani colleges “to return to Afghanistan”. The notification also barred medical and dental colleges from granting admission or placement to Afghan students for the current academic session. Soon after, reports circulated on social media about the alleged expulsion of Afghan nationals who were studying at public sector medical colleges in Lahore. According to a health ministry official, an “in principle” decision had been made to send Afghan students enrolled in Pakistani medical universities back to their country, due to the ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. When asked about the reported expulsion of Afghan students, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan had told Dawn that “any foreign national without a valid visa and passport” was liable to deportation under the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP). Jamal, the petitioners’ counsel, claimed in a post on X that there was “no distinction made between valid visa and invalid stay by PMDC in its directives”. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the PMDC decision, warning that the move could turn an education policy into a humanitarian crisis. It said around 100 Afghan medical and dental students in Lahore alone could be affected, including an estimated 20 to 40 women.

LAHORE: Thirteen Afghan medical students on Thursday filed multiple petitions before the Lahore High Court (LHC), challenging directives from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that ordered their return to Afghanistan. The petitioners, comprising seven women and six men, filed the petitions through Advocate Asad Jamal. They were enrolled at different institutions in Lahore, including King Edward Medical University, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical & Dental College and the Services Institute of Medical Sciences. The petitioners said they were removed from their colleges on PMDC’s instructions, with the council acting as the top regulatory body under the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Act 2023. They argued that PMDC and the medical colleges lacked the legal authority to expel the students. The petitioners argued that PMDC’s powers must be exercised within the bounds of the Constitution and Pakistan’s international legal obligations, and that neither the 2023 Act nor constitutional or international principles permitted the council to act arbitrarily, particularly against students who had already invested years in their medical education in Lahore and across Punjab. Many of the petitioners hold scholarships under the Higher Education Commission (HEC)-sponsored Allama Iqbal Scholarship programme. The HEC, in July 2025, held a reception to welcome around 350 Afghan students arriving in Pakistan to pursue their studies. Nilofar Nikzad, one of the petitioners, said she had completed two years of medical studies in Afghanistan before being forced to abandon her education there because of Taliban restrictions on women’s access to education. The petitioners said the sudden and disruptive process led to their evictions from hostels by their respective colleges and left them without accommodation as their academic futures hung in the balance. They said the PMDC’s directives had caused significant distress among Afghan medical students studying across Pakistan, prompting them to seek recourse from the courts as a last resort. The petitioners requested the LHC to decide on two PMDC directives, issued on July 31 and September 1, and declare them “illegal and unconstitutional”, without lawful authority and void from inception. “The impugned orders are discriminatory against women and all other Afghan students present in Pakistan,” one of the petitions claimed. The petitions are yet to be fixed for hearing by the LHC registrar’s office. PMDC order On September 1, PMDC issued a notification directing Afghan medical students enrolled in Pakistani colleges “to return to Afghanistan”. The notification also barred medical and dental colleges from granting admission or placement to Afghan students for the current academic session. Soon after, reports circulated on social media about the alleged expulsion of Afghan nationals who were studying at public sector medical colleges in Lahore. According to a health ministry official, an “in principle” decision had been made to send Afghan students enrolled in Pakistani medical universities back to their country, due to the ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. When asked about the reported expulsion of Afghan students, Foreign Office (FO) spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan had told Dawn that “any foreign national without a valid visa and passport” was liable to deportation under the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP). Jamal, the petitioners’ counsel, claimed in a post on X that there was “no distinction made between valid visa and invalid stay by PMDC in its directives”. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has condemned the PMDC decision, warning that the move could turn an education policy into a humanitarian crisis. It said around 100 Afghan medical and dental students in Lahore alone could be affected, including an estimated 20 to 40 women.