Over 200 Afghan medical students in Pakistan face potential expulsion after the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ordered their removal, but a Lahore High Court ruling temporarily halted the move, citing due process concerns.
Afghan medical students in Pakistan are caught in a legal and bureaucratic storm after the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) issued directives requiring them to leave the country, sparking fears of abrupt academic disruption. The Lahore High Court (LHC) intervened on September 11, suspending the PMDC’s orders and allowing students to continue their studies pending further review, though the broader dispute over their legal status remains unresolved.
LHC Halts Expulsions, Cites Due Process Concerns
The Lahore High Court on September 11 suspended the PMDC’s directive to expel Afghan medical students, ruling that the regulatory body overstepped its authority by failing to provide students with a chance to contest their removal. Justice Khalid Ishaq, who presided over the case, questioned how students had been granted visas and allowed to study for years before the sudden order, noting that Until yesterday, these were favoured children,
and Today, the policy has changed.
The court’s decision came after 13 Afghan students, including seven women, challenged the PMDC’s September 1 directive, which barred Afghan nationals from enrolling in or transferring to Pakistani medical institutions. The students argued the move violated their fundamental rights, with one stating, My first reaction was, this is nonsense. How could a government expel students from universities without any reason?
PMDC Cites Visa and Registration Compliance, Denies Nationality-Based Ban
The PMDC defended its actions, stating that all foreign students enrolled in Pakistani medical or dental institutions needed to be registered with the regulator. In a statement, the council clarified that its regulatory requirements applied equally to all foreign nationals and were not based on nationality. It claimed only 22 of the enrolled Afghan students were registered with the PMDC, with 14 having completed their degrees and eight set to graduate next year.
Alishba, a 2021 arrival, said she and others were not told at the time that they also needed to register with the PMDC.
Government Denies General Expulsion Order, Cites Visa Validity
Pakistan’s Foreign Office denied a government-wide directive to expel all Afghan students, stating that those with valid visas and enrolled in recognized programs could remain. There is no such decision by the government to return all the Afghan students,
said spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, though he referred questions about individual cases to the PMDC. The Foreign Office said, however, that Afghan students without valid visas or those not enrolled in recognised degree programmes would have to return to Afghanistan.
But for students like Alishba, the policy feels arbitrary. We are not dolls for them to play with.
This is our life,
she said.
Rights Groups Condemn Expulsions as Discriminatory, Warn of Gender Impact
Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Amnesty International condemned the PMDC’s actions as discriminatory and arbitrary, warning that Afghan women—many of whom face a ban on higher education under the Taliban—could be disproportionately affected. HRW cited the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, stating that Pakistan must ensure equal access to higher education based on ability and without discrimination.
Expelling these students, particularly young women who have fought against extraordinary odds simply to study, is not just an administrative matter.
The LHC’s suspension offers temporary relief, but the students’ futures remain uncertain as the case heads to a September 18 hearing.
What Comes Next? Legal and Humanitarian Implications
The LHC’s ruling does not resolve the core dispute: whether the PMDC exceeded its jurisdiction under its own governing act. The court has ordered the PMDC, the Ministry of National Health Services, and the vice chancellors of affected institutions to submit responses by September 18. Meanwhile, students face a precarious situation, with some already evicted from hostels and others fearing abrupt academic termination.
The outcome could set a precedent for how Pakistan balances immigration enforcement with educational access. For now, the court’s intervention underscores the tension between regulatory compliance and the rights of students who have invested years in their training. As one petitioner put it, This is our life.
