Pakistan Orders Afghan Medical Students Home, Courts Split on Deportation

September 30, 2026 at 04:24 PM2 min

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Pakistan's medical regulator has ordered Afghan medical and dental students to return home and barred colleges from enrolling them for the current academic year. Courts in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Islamabad have issued interim orders protecting some students from immediate deportation, while the Balochistan High Court dismissed similar petitions. The directives affect more than 1,000 Afghan students, including over 300 women, according to an Afghan students' organization.

Key Facts

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council ordered Afghan students to return home and instructed colleges not to facilitate their enrollment for the current academic year.
An Afghan students' organization estimates that more than 1,000 Afghans, including over 300 women, are currently studying medicine across Pakistan.
Courts in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Islamabad have issued interim orders protecting students and doctors from immediate deportation.
The Balochistan High Court dismissed petitions from Afghan medical students seeking to remain in the country.
The Taliban barred women and girls from universities in Afghanistan in December 2022 and ordered the closure of medical education programs for women in December 2024.

Regulatory Order and Student Impact

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ordered Afghan students to return home and instructed colleges not to facilitate their enrollment for the current academic year. An Afghan students' organization estimates that more than 1,000 Afghans, including over 300 women, are currently studying medicine across Pakistan, though these figures have not been independently verified. Pakistan's Foreign Ministry has publicly stated that enrolled students with valid legal documents may continue their education. Student advocates note this policy fails to address the hundreds who lack formal visas due to administrative backlogs or canceled refugee statuses.

Legal Battles Across Provinces

In recent weeks, courts in Lahore, Karachi, Peshawar, and Islamabad have issued interim orders protecting students and doctors from immediate deportation. The Balochistan High Court recently dismissed petitions from Afghan medical students seeking to remain in the country. For students like Fatima, a third-year student at Bolan Medical College, a favorable court order may buy time to attend classes, but it offers no guarantee of a path toward graduation.

Taliban Restrictions and Personal Risk

The Taliban barred women and girls from universities in Afghanistan in December 2022, preventing women from continuing higher education and pursuing careers such as medicine. In December 2024, the Taliban ordered the closure of medical education programs for women, effectively blocking female students from medical training. Fatima, who lacks a valid Pakistani visa and entered as a refugee using a Proof of Registration card, said, "If I go there, everything will end for me and my studies will be left unfinished." RFE/RL repeatedly contacted Pakistan's Interior Ministry regarding the visa and documentation crises facing these students but received no response.