September 9, 2026
By Hashir Ahsan
ISLAMBAD
Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has imposed a complete ban on offering admissions or seats to Afghan students in all public and private medical and dental colleges across the country for the current academic session. At the same time, it has also been made mandatory for all Afghan students who were previously studying and registered in these medical education programs to return to Afghanistan immediately.
Through official letters issued at the beginning of this month, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council formally notified all public, private, general, and specialized medical institutions across the country about this important policy decision.
According to PMDC’s official communique, all relevant educational institutions were strictly directed on September 1, 2026, to finalize administrative procedures and paperwork as soon as possible so that no obstacle remains in the way of Afghan students returning to their homeland, and their departure can be made easy and possible.
Reiterating this point, the PMDC communique clearly stated that all Afghan nationals who had previously secured admission in Pakistan’s medical or dental fields and programs must return to Afghanistan in accordance with the prevalent policy guidelines.
Adding to its order, the council instructed the institutions to ensure that all necessary administrative requisite, including the issuance of the required NOC (No Objection Certificate) and all facilities necessary for the formal departure of the students—are executed completely and on time.
This new development came to light after reports and news circulated on social media claiming that Afghan nationals studying in public medical colleges in Lahore had allegedly been expelled.
Speaking to Voicepk, an official from the Ministry of Health stated that this decision and policy apply solely and exclusively to Afghan students and have no bearing on students of other foreign nationalities. The official added that the decision regarding Afghan students was taken due to recent tension between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Speaking to Voicepk, Siddique Sheriati, President of the Afghan Students Union, and other students said that they had come to Pakistan on official scholarships and were now facing collective and forced deportation. The students appealed to the Government of Pakistan not to let the disputes between Islamabad and the Taliban become an obstacle in their education, as they have no connection to the Taliban or their policies.
Notices from Universities and a 24-Hour Deadline, A letter issued by Fatima Jinnah Medical University included a list of 21 Afghan medical students from the first to the fifth year. Referencing the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC) letter dated September 1, 2026, the letter directed the concerned authorities to complete all administrative procedures for discharging the students within 24 hours through the Vice Chancellor’s office.
In conversations with Voicepk, students further shared that the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore issued a letter on September 7, 2026. Citing PMDC’s letters dated July 31 and September 1, 2026, the document stated that no new admissions, placements, transfers, migrations, or other facilities will be provided to Afghan nationals in the current academic year. The letter clarified that Afghan nationals already enrolled in medical or dental programs are bound to return to Afghanistan under the current directives.
UHS directed all institutions to complete all necessary administrative steps for issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs) and for the students’ return, and to submit a compliance report via post and email within 24 hours.
In conversations with Voicepk, several Afghan students stated that they had been admitted under the ‘Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship’ organized by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) Pakistan. Currently, around 1000 Afghan male and female students are studying across Pakistan, many of whom are in their final year with only a few months left before their final exams and graduation.
Students say that this sudden decision has put their years of hard work, financial investment, and dreams of becoming doctors at stake. The situation is particularly distressing for female students, who had previously been deprived of education in Afghanistan for several years before coming to Pakistan, or who had moved here after 2021 to complete their incomplete education.
The students highlighted that female students are also included, and if they return to Afghanistan, there is a ban on women’s education there. The students pleaded for a solution to this issue so they could continue their education.
When asked about reports of Afghan students being expelled during a weekly briefing, Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan stated that under the “Illegal Foreigners Repatriation Plan” (IFRP), any foreign national residing in Pakistan without a valid and legitimate visa and passport would be considered illegal, and the individual concerned could be deported according to the law.
Foreign Office Spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan further stated that despite all circumstances, Pakistani authorities are continuing to process applications submitted by Afghan students for visa extensions in accordance with existing policy, rules, regulations, and laws.
This campaign to deport individuals illegally residing in Pakistan originally began in 2023 and was renewed in April last year when the government revoked residential permits held by hundreds of thousands of Afghan nationals, giving them a clear warning that they would be arrested if they did not leave Pakistan.
In an important briefing given to the Senate Standing Committee on Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, and SAFRON (States and Frontier Regions), it was revealed that over one million Afghan nationals were deported by Pakistan during the past year alone. Senior officials from the Ministry of Interior and the Chief Commissionerate for Afghan Refugees informed the standing committee meeting that Pakistan returned and deported a total of 1,155,221 Afghan nationals during the year 2025.