PHC stops KMC from dropping Afghan student

PESHAWAR:

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has restrained the Khyber Medical College (KMC) administration from removing a female Afghan applicant from the MBBS admission process, issuing a stay order in her favour.

A division bench comprising Justice Ijaz Anwar and Justice Waqar Ahmad heard the petition filed by Rubi, an Afghan national, whose case was argued by Advocate Mian Zakir Hussain. The counsel informed the court that his client had applied for admission to the MBBS program at KMC, but the college administration had asked her to submit her passport and visa before the issuance of the final merit list.

He argued that under the latest rules and policy, foreign applicants are required to submit their passport and visa only after the final merit list is released. Despite this, the college administration demanded these documents prematurely.

The lawyer further told the bench that the Pakistan-Afghanistan border is currently closed, restricting all movement, making it impossible for the applicant to obtain the required documents at this stage. He said Rubi had assured the administration that she would submit her passport and other necessary documents once the final merit list was issued, but her request was rejected, which he termed illegal.

After hearing the arguments, the court directed the KMC administration not to exclude the applicant from the admission process and sought a response from the college administration.