Pakistan orders Afghan medical students to return from universities
Pakistan’s Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has ordered Afghan students enrolled in the country’s medical and dental colleges to return to Afghanistan, a move that has cast serious doubt over the continuation of their studies, especially for those nearing graduation.
Under the council’s September 1 directive, Afghan nationals previously enrolled in Pakistan’s medical and dental programmes must go back to Afghanistan. The council has also instructed educational institutions to complete all administrative procedures, including issuing a no-objection certificate (NOC) and facilitating the departure of these students.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council added that in the current academic year, until further notice, no new admissions, transfers, relocations, academic migration or “other facilities” will be allowed for Afghan nationals. It did not clarify how many Afghan students are currently studying in Pakistan’s medical and dental faculties, or whether students close to completing their degrees would be exempt from the order.
The decision extends restrictions on Afghans in Pakistan beyond undocumented migrants and asylum seekers, affecting students who had previously been formally enrolled in professional medical programmes.
In response, Khalid Zadran, spokesman for Kabul police command, said the expulsion of Afghan students, especially those in their final year, was a “weak, vindictive and cruel” act. He said: “The US and Iran are at war, but Iranian students are not expelled from US universities. Pakistan has expelled Afghan medical students in their final year. This is not strength, but oppression and petty spite.”
At the same time, Mansoor Ahmad Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Afghanistan, urged the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council to reconsider the decision on humanitarian grounds and in view of the two nations’ historic ties. He suggested that students be allowed to complete their studies and return to Afghanistan after graduation.
The move comes as relations between Islamabad and Kabul have sharply deteriorated and Pakistan has expanded its repatriation drive for Afghan nationals. According to International Organization for Migration figures, more than 2.6 million Afghans returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan between September 2023 and July 31, 2026.
Pakistan says the expulsion of Afghans is necessary to ensure national security and enforce immigration laws, but the United Nations and human rights groups have repeatedly expressed concern about the forced return of Afghans, especially vulnerable people. Tensions between Islamabad and Kabul have also risen in recent months over Pakistan’s claims that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan and other armed groups are operating from Afghan territory.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council is the regulatory body for education and professional practice in the country’s medical and dental sectors. A no-objection certificate, or NOC, is also an administrative document commonly used for transfers, continuation of studies or completing formal departure procedures.
