13 Afghan medical students challenge PMDC repatriation directives in LHC
Thirteen Afghan medical students on Thursday filed several petitions before the Lahore High Court (LHC), challenging directives from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ordering them to return to Afghanistan.
The PMDC reiterated the directive in a letter to medical and dental colleges on September 1, directing institutions to comply with earlier policy instructions. It said no admission, placement, transfer, migration or other facilitation of Afghan nationals would be permitted during the current academic session, while Afghan nationals already enrolled in medical and dental programmes would be required to return to Afghanistan.
King Edward Medical University (KEMU) in Lahore became one of the first public universities to act on the directive on Tuesday, ordering 20 Afghan MBBS students to report within 24 hours. Seven of the students are in their final year. The university is processing their no-objection certificates and other formalities to facilitate their departure.
The petitioners, comprising seven women and six men, filed the petitions, stating that they were enrolled at different medical institutions in Lahore, including KEMU, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical & Dental College and the Services Institute of Medical Sciences.
They submitted in their petitions that they had been removed from their respective colleges on the PMDC’s instructions, arguing that the council, despite being the top regulatory body under the PMDC Act 2023, lacked the legal authority to expel them.
Read: PMDC order for Afghan medical students sparks backlash
They contended that the PMDC’s powers must be exercised within the bounds of the Constitution and Pakistan’s international legal obligations. Neither the 2023 act nor constitutional or international principles, they stated, permitted the council to act arbitrarily, particularly against students who had already invested years in their medical education in Lahore and across Punjab.
Many of the petitioners are beneficiaries of scholarships under the Higher Education Commission (HEC)-sponsored Allama Iqbal Scholarship Programme. In July 2025, the HEC held a reception to welcome around 350 Afghan students arriving in Pakistan to pursue their studies.
One of the petitioners, Nilofar Nikzad, said she had completed two years of medical studies in Afghanistan before being forced to abandon her education there due to Taliban restrictions on women’s access to education.
The petitioners said the sudden and disruptive process had resulted in their eviction from hostels by their respective colleges, leaving them without accommodation while their academic futures remained uncertain.
They said the PMDC directives had caused significant distress among Afghan medical students studying across Pakistan, prompting them to approach the courts as a last resort.
The petitioners asked the LHC to adjudicate upon two PMDC directives issued on July 31 and September 1 and declare them “illegal and unconstitutional”, without lawful authority and void from inception.
Read more: KEMU moves against Afghan medical students following PMDC directives
“The impugned orders are discriminatory against women and all other Afghan students present in Pakistan,” one of the petitions claimed.
The PMDC directive has drawn strong criticism from rights groups and political leaders, who have urged the government to allow Afghan medical and dental students to complete their degrees.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) described the move as “a humanitarian crisis affecting young people whose education, safety and futures are at immediate risk”, calling for the repatriation orders to be suspended and affected students’ enrolment restored.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate Allama Raja Nasir Abbas called the directive “entirely politically motivated” and said it was “tantamount to harming” future generations. PTI leader Asad Qaiser described the expulsion of Afghan students as “extremely ridiculous”, saying, “You are playing with the future of the students.”
The HRCP also warned that Pakistan’s security concerns and strained ties with Afghanistan could not justify “collectively punishing students”, while Abbas cautioned that the policy could damage Pakistan’s reputation as a destination for international students.
PMDC issues directives
Alongside the repatriation process for existing Afghan students, the regulator has imposed an immediate suspension on new admissions, student transfers and migration applications involving Afghan nationals until further notice.
Medical institutions have been instructed to ensure full compliance with the regulatory order while coordinating with relevant government authorities wherever required. The decision is expected to have its greatest impact on students nearing graduation, particularly those in the final year of MBBS.
Medical education experts note that interruptions during the clinical phase of medical training can present significant academic challenges.
Universities are therefore processing transcripts, examination records and other academic documents to facilitate the transfer or continuation of studies wherever possible under the applicable regulations.
On the other hand, hostel administrations have also initiated standard exit procedures for affected students residing on campus.
According to university sources, students will be required to complete hostel clearance, return university-issued property, settle outstanding accommodation and mess charges, obtain library and laboratory clearances and vacate their rooms after completing institutional formalities.
Their hostel residency will remain subject to their legal status and continued eligibility under university regulations during the transition period.