Human Rights Watch Calls on Pakistan to Cancel Expulsion of Afghan Medical Students
Human Rights Watch has called on Pakistan to revoke an order expelling Afghan students studying medicine and dentistry and to allow them to complete their education. The group warned that sending female students back to Afghanistan, where the Taliban authorities have banned women from universities and parts of medical education, could destroy their academic and professional futures.
According to the organisation, Pakistani authorities on Tuesday ordered medical and dental institutions, without prior warning, to expel Afghan students and arrange for their return to Afghanistan. At the same time, admissions of new Afghan students to these institutions have also been halted.
According to a Human Rights Watch report, King Edward Medical University in Lahore has informed 20 Afghan students, including four women and seven final-year students, that they must report within 24 hours to complete departure procedures. The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan has also estimated that about 100 Afghan medical and dental students in Lahore could be affected by the decision, 20 to 40 of them women.
The rights group said a number of Afghan students, fearing expulsion, had sought safe shelter and legal assistance. Human Rights Watch stressed that under its international obligations, Pakistan is required to ensure equal access to higher education without discrimination, and that this responsibility also applies to non-citizens, regardless of their immigration status.
The organisation has called on Pakistan to withdraw the return orders, the ban on enrolment and the suspension of admissions for Afghan students. It also said each student’s protection status should be assessed individually and safe shelter should be provided for those in need, especially women.
The move has drawn criticism from human rights groups and some Pakistani political figures. Amnesty International also described the action as “discriminatory” and warned that the expulsion of Afghan students violates their right to education. A number of former officials and political figures in Pakistan have also called for the decision to be reviewed.
Pakistan has hosted large numbers of Afghan refugees and students in recent years, and the city of Lahore is considered one of the country’s major medical education centres. The decision comes as Taliban-imposed restrictions have shut the door on further education for many Afghan girls and women inside Afghanistan.
