Lahore, September 11, 2026: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday suspended the operation of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) directives ordering Afghan medical students to return to Afghanistan.
Justice Khalid Ishaq issued the order while hearing petitions filed by 13 Afghan students enrolled at various medical institutions in Lahore, including King Edward Medical University, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College and Services Institute of Medical Sciences.
The petitions challenged PMDC directives issued on July 31 and September 1, under which Afghan medical students studying in Pakistani colleges were directed to return to Afghanistan. The September 1 directive also barred medical and dental colleges from granting admission or placement to Afghan students during the current academic session.
Appearing for the petitioners, Advocate Asad Jamal argued that the students had been condemned unheard and that their fundamental rights to education, life and dignity had been violated. He contended that the PMDC had exceeded its jurisdiction under the PMDC Act.
PMDC counsel Haris Azmat opposed suspension of the directives, arguing that the matter involved national security.
Justice Ishaq rejected the argument and suspended the operation of both directives. He directed that the affected students be allowed to continue their education, appear in examinations and return to their hostels.
The court also sought replies from the PMDC, Ministry of Health and vice chancellors of the concerned medical universities and colleges by the next hearing on September 18.
Students challenge directives
The 13 petitioners, comprising seven women and six men, approached the LHC after being removed from their colleges and hostels on the PMDC’s instructions.
They argued that neither the PMDC Act 2023 nor constitutional and international legal principles authorised the regulator or medical institutions to arbitrarily expel students who had already spent years pursuing their medical education in Pakistan.
One petitioner, Nilofar Nikzad, said she had completed two years of medical studies in Afghanistan before being forced to abandon her education due to restrictions imposed by the Taliban on women’s access to education.
Several petitioners are also recipients of scholarships under the Higher Education Commission’s Allama Iqbal Scholarship Programme. In July 2025, the HEC had welcomed around 350 Afghan students who arrived in Pakistan to pursue higher education.
FO says no blanket decision to send Afghan students back
The court proceedings came amid conflicting statements regarding the status of Afghan students in Pakistan.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said on Thursday that the government had not taken any decision to return all Afghan students from Pakistan.
He said Afghan students enrolled in valid degree programmes and holding valid visas could remain in Pakistan and complete their education.
However, when asked specifically about students affected by the PMDC directives, the spokesperson referred the matter to the medical regulator, saying the PMDC would clarify whether the students had valid registrations and visas.
“There is no blanket ban on Afghan students,” Khan reiterated.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has also condemned the PMDC decision, warning that it could turn an education policy into a humanitarian crisis. According to the commission, around 100 Afghan medical and dental students in Lahore alone could be affected, including an estimated 20 to 40 women.
Afghan repatriation drive
The dispute comes against the backdrop of Pakistan’s ongoing repatriation drive involving Afghan nationals.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans over several decades, including a large influx following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
According to officials who briefed a Senate standing committee, Pakistan deported or repatriated 1,155,221 Afghan nationals in 2025. The figure included 163,429 Proof of Registration card holders, 74,943 Afghan Citizen Card holders, 509,671 undocumented individuals and 407,178 voluntary returnees.
The UN refugee agency UNHCR reported that returns accelerated in early 2026, with nearly 150,000 Afghans returning from Pakistan and Iran by mid-February. These returns added to the 5.4 million Afghans who had returned to Afghanistan from the two countries since October 2023.
In June, the Ministry of Interior also directed authorities to immediately arrest Afghan nationals found residing in Pakistan without valid visas.
