Key points:

  • The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has ordered all Afghan nationals enrolled in medical or dental programmes in Pakistan to leave the country and return to Afghanistan.
  • The directive applies to students in both public and private institutions, and universities have been asked to assist with the transition of academic records.
  • PMDC cited existing policy frameworks and bilateral agreements with Afghanistan as the legal basis for the order.
  • The move could curtail the flow of Afghan students seeking medical education in Pakistan and affect the staffing pipeline of local teaching hospitals.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council announced on Thursday that every Afghan citizen currently pursuing a degree in medicine or dentistry at Pakistani colleges must vacate the premises and go back to Afghanistan. The regulator instructed all medical and dental schools—whether government‑run or privately managed—to cooperate with the affected students, ensuring that transcripts, certificates and other academic documents are handed over to the relevant Afghan authorities.

According to the PMDC, the decision rests on “policy considerations” and on provisions of bilateral accords that govern the status of foreign students in Pakistan. While the council did not disclose the specific clauses, officials indicated that the move aligns with recent diplomatic talks aimed at clarifying the legal standing of overseas nationals studying in the country.

Universities across the country have begun notifying Afghan enrolments of the new requirement and are setting up mechanisms to expedite the students’ departure. Many of these institutions rely on Afghan enrolments to fill seats in highly competitive programmes, and the sudden exodus may lead to empty slots in upcoming academic years, potentially impacting tuition revenue and the diversity of clinical training environments.

The directive arrives amid broader discussions between Islamabad and Kabul about the future of educational exchange programmes. Analysts suggest that the order could signal a tightening of Pakistan’s immigration and student‑visa policies, which may have ripple effects on other South Asian and Middle‑Eastern nationals currently studying in Pakistani health‑science colleges.