BHC clarifies rules for foreign students

Deportation or return of foreign residents falls exclusively under the executive branch's authority

QUETTA:

Foreign citizens cannot claim an absolute legal right to reside or pursue higher education in Pakistan against established government policy, the Balochistan High Court ruled on Tuesday while rejecting a plea by Afghan nationals to continue their medical and dental studies.

A division bench consisting of Justice Muhammad Aamir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri refused to strike down state directives concerning the enrollment, migration, or processing of Afghan students in medical colleges across the country.

Delivering the judgment, the bench clarified that matters surrounding immigration enforcement, national security, and the deportation or return of foreign residents fall exclusively under the executive branch's authority, leaving no room for judicial interference in standard administrative policies.