August 6, 2026
By Hafiz ullah Storai Sherani
ISLAMABAD
Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) held an emergency press conference at the National Press Club, demanding immediate redressal from the Government of Pakistan, parliament, and the higher judiciary regarding the recent controversial notifications issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) concerning foreign medical universities, particularly Afghan educational institutions.
The affected doctors and legal experts termed these actions by the PMDC as illegal, discriminatory, and a blatant violation of the clear orders of the Peshawar High Court.
Speaking exclusively to Voicepk, Dr Waqas Akbar, Head of Foreign Medical Students (Afghan chapter), expressed grave concern, stating that they had taken admission in foreign universities especially in Afghanistan in 2018 and 2019 under PMDC’s recognised list and with proper No Objection Certificates (NOCs). He added that PMDC introduced new and stringent conditions through its notifications of September 8, 2025, and July 31, 2026, and applied them retrospectively.
As a result, the academic future and years of hard work of over 1,200 graduated doctors and more than 4,000 enrolled medical students across Pakistan have been put at severe risk.
Dr Waqas Akbar further expressed concern regarding the latest notification of July 31, stating that by specifically targeting Afghanistan, the brunt of the ongoing political tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan is being forced upon innocent doctors who have no connection to politics.
He questioned why graduates of these very universities who qualify for international licensing examinations such as the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (USA), General Medical Council (UK), Australian Medical Council (Australia), and Medical Council of Canada (Canada) are being prevented in Pakistan from sitting in the National Registration Examination (NRE) and obtaining the Provisionally Registered Medical Practitioner (PRMP) status.
Elaborating on the legal aspects of the issue, prominent lawyer Abdul Rahim Wazir Advocate, associated with the Awami National Party (ANP), challenged the constitutional validity of the PMDC notifications in his conversation with Voicepk.
He stated that under constitutional and legal principles, when a matter is subjudice (pending before the court), the relevant authority is not empowered to issue any new notification on the subject. He recalled that on April 2, 2026, the Peshawar High Court gave a clear verdict in favor of the affected students, striking down PMDC’s attempt to enforce the policy retrospectively and directing registration within 15 days, while contempt of court proceedings against PMDC are currently underway.
Under Section 33 of the ‘PMDC Act 2022’, passing the National Registration Examination is a statutory requirement for all Pakistani graduates holding foreign degrees.
However, the notification issued on September 8, 2025, imposed strict conditions such as registration with international bodies and a $10,000 USD fee, while the latest notification of July 31, 2026, specifically suspended and restricted the eligibility and participation of Pakistani graduates and enrolled students from Afghan medical universities in the NRE, declaring them ineligible for practice in Pakistan. The retrospective application of all these new conditions to previously enrolled students violates the fundamental legal principle of non-retrospectivity.
The affected foreign medical graduates and their legal representatives have demanded that the controversial notifications of September 8, 2025, and July 31, 2026, be revoked without delay; all new policies be applied strictly to future entrants; and all 1,200 graduated doctors and 4,000 enrolled students be allowed to appear in the NRE examination and receive provisional practice licenses without discrimination under previous rules, ensuring full implementation of the Peshawar High Court’s decision in letter and spirit.