September 10, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMABAD
The Spokesperson for the Foreign Office has denied any reports of sending Afghan medical students back in his weekly briefing saying that there is no such decision by the government where all Afghan students are to be sent back at the same time. Those Afghan students who are present here and are not enrolled in any university are being sent back, whereas Afghan students who possess a valid Afghan visa and have enrolled themselves in a university will complete their degree. Afghanistan is our neighbor, with whom we share centuries-old relations.
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) has issued an important statement regarding Afghan students, in which the PMDC spokesperson stated that the council’s rules and visa policy apply without discrimination to all foreign students, while there is no restriction on pursuing medical education in Pakistan based on any specific nationality, or particularly on Afghan students.
According to PMDC data, more than 200 Afghan medical students have been identified in Pakistan, out of which only 22 Afghan students are legally registered with PMDC. Among these 22 registered students, 14 have completed their education while 8 will graduate next year, and the verification process for the records and documents of the remaining 176 Afghan students is currently underway.
The notification clarified that obtaining a medical degree alone does not grant the right to reside or practice in Pakistan; rather, a PMDC license and a valid visa are strictly necessary to practice in Pakistan. According to PM&DC, unregistered students will not be considered legal students under the medical education system; however, affected students are being provided facilities to complete their paperwork and for an organized and respectful return. The Council reiterated that foreign students meeting all legal requirements and regulations are welcomed upon their arrival in Pakistan.
During a conversation with Voicepk, President of the Afghan Student Union, Siddiq Shirati, confirmed that so far across the entire country, there is not a single student who has been sent back following the PM&DC notification. Siddiq Shirati mentioned that they have also discussed this issue with the Afghan Embassy, and the Embassy had told them that they are making efforts to resolve this issue.
Open letter from Afghan students to relevant authorities
The International Afghan Students Association (IASA) sent an open letter to the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), and all relevant authorities on September 10, 2026, titled “An Urgent Humanitarian Appeal to Protect Afghan Students and Allow Them to Complete Their Education.”
The letter says that the International Afghan Students’ Association is deeply concerned, and hopes that recent orders affecting Afghan students pursuing medical education in Pakistan will be resolved. The Association reminded HEC that several Afghan students currently studying in Pakistan were invited to pursue higher education through Pakistan’s educational and scholarship initiatives, including the “Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship Program”. After being invited, these students built their academic lives in Pakistan, spent the years of their youth, and dedicated themselves to serving their society as doctors.
“Their education should not be endangered by circumstances beyond their control,” reads the letter. It has appealed to HEC, as an institution entrusted with the responsibility of developing and protecting higher education, to stand by the students whom it helped bring to Pakistan, and to ensure that their academic journey does not end abruptly.
The Association urged PMDC and relevant institutions to view the matter of Afghan students under the principles of human dignity, justice, diversity, and compassion. “Afghan students are first human beings and students with aspirations, families, sacrifices, and a future. Their nationality should not diminish their dignity or the value of their education.”
The letter further states that they fully recognize Pakistan’s sovereign powers to formulate and enforce immigration, security, and educational policies; however, it is their sincere belief that students should not become unintended victims of political or administrative circumstances.
Demands made by the students from HEC and PMDC
Afghan students already enrolled in Pakistan should be allowed to complete their education subject to reasonable academic and legal requirements; instead of disrupting students’ education, visa, documentation, and administrative issues should be resolved in coordination with relevant authorities; special attention should be given to female Afghan students, whose access to higher education could be severely affected if forced to return; it should be ensured that Afghan students are not treated as political bargaining chips, nor subjected to collective harm due to circumstances unrelated to their academic affairs.
The Association states that Pakistan’s long-standing tradition of hospitality and its role in education within the region can be reflected through compassion at this critical juncture. These students came to Pakistan to study, bearing dreams of becoming doctors, researchers, teachers, and professionals. Please allow them to finish the work they were invited to begin.
IASA expressed hope that the relevant authorities will hear this appeal and immediately take steps toward a solution that allows eligible Afghan students to stay, study, graduate, and contribute positively both to Afghanistan and the broader region.
The letter concluded by stating that their nationality should not define the boundaries of their dreams. Their education should not fall victim to circumstances beyond their control. They should be allowed to complete their education.