OMM Redaksiyası
Pakistani courts have temporarily blocked the deportation of Afghan medical students as Islamabad expands its campaign to repatriate Afghan nationals and tensions with Kabul increase.
The latest ruling was issued on Sept. 14 by the Sindh High Court in southern Pakistan. The court suspended directives from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) requiring Afghan medical and dentistry students to return to Afghanistan.
Thirty-four students in Karachi were granted interim legal protection, barring authorities from taking coercive action against them until Sept. 29.
The dispute arose after directives issued by the PMDC on July 31 and Sept. 1. Under the Sept. 1 directive, medical and dental institutions in Pakistan were required to ensure that Afghan nationals already enrolled in their programs returned to Afghanistan.
Educational institutions were instructed to complete the procedures needed for the students’ departure, including issuing no-objection certificates. The directive also banned the admission, transfer and placement of Afghan nationals during the current academic year.
Among those challenging the decision in Karachi are three final-year MBBS students at Dow Medical College, two of them women. The students said that returning to Afghanistan before receiving their degrees would put their education at risk, particularly amid restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women’s education.
The three students were admitted under the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship, funded by the Pakistani government for Afghan nationals. They began their studies in the 2021-2022 academic year and are expected to graduate in 2027.
The Lahore High Court issued a similar ruling on Sept. 11. It allowed 13 Afghan medical students who had challenged their removal from educational institutions in Lahore to continue their studies, take examinations and return to university dormitories while their case is being considered.
The court sought responses from the PMDC, the Ministry of Health and the relevant medical institutions. The students argue that the regulator made the decision without hearing them and exceeded its legal authority.
Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Sept. 10 that the government had not decided to expel all Afghan students from the country. Ministry spokesman Sajjad Haider Khan said Afghan students enrolled in recognized higher education programs with valid visas could remain in Pakistan and complete their studies.
He said people without valid visas or university enrollment must leave the country. Questions concerning the PMDC directive were referred to the regulator.
The court rulings come against the backdrop of Pakistan’s broader campaign to repatriate Afghan nationals. Pakistan launched the campaign in 2023, initially targeting undocumented foreigners.
According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 2.6 million Afghans returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan between September 2023 and July 31, 2026. Islamabad says the policy is linked to enforcing immigration rules and ensuring national security.
Pakistan has repeatedly accused the Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP) of using Afghan territory to organize attacks inside Pakistan. Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities deny allowing their territory to be used against Pakistan.
The UN and human rights organizations continue to express concern about the scale and speed of Pakistan’s returns of Afghan nationals. They have particularly highlighted the potential consequences of the process in light of Afghanistan’s humanitarian and economic difficulties.
