Afghan Medical Students Face Sudden Expulsion from Pakistan Amid Regulatory Crackdown

Afghan medical students studying in Pakistan are facing sudden expulsion following a directive from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). The order, issued on September 1, mandates that universities and colleges send enrolled Afghan students home and bars them from new admissions or transfers for the current academic year.

Many of the affected individuals, including students like Alishba* and Zainab*, arrived in Pakistan through programs such as the Allama Iqbal Scholarship, facilitated by the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the Pakistani embassy in Kabul. While the PMDC justified the directive by citing a lack of formal registration among foreign students, scholars argue they were never informed of this requirement by their institutions or government agencies upon arrival.

The expulsion orders arrive amidst a broader repatriation initiative by Pakistan, known as the Illegal Foreigners' Repatriation Plan, launched in late 2023. Relations between Islamabad and the Taliban government in Kabul have deteriorated significantly, leading to increased border clashes and security concerns.

For female students, the stakes are particularly high. Having already faced bans on higher education imposed by the Taliban in Afghanistan, these women now risk losing their medical degrees entirely. Human Rights Watch (HRW) and former Pakistani diplomats have condemned the decision, urging authorities to allow the students to complete their education on humanitarian grounds. Meanwhile, affected students remain in limbo, holding out hope that the directive will be reversed.