Pakistan has ordered universities across the country to immediately expel Afghan medical and dental students, with some institutions giving students only 24 hours to leave the country under what officials describe as a matter of “national policy.” The decision has placed nearly 1,000 Afghan scholarship students, including many women in their final years of medical school, at risk of losing their education and being forced to return to Afghanistan.
Official letters issued by Pakistan’s Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) and several medical universities instructed institutions to begin the immediate removal of Afghan nationals enrolled in medical and dental programs. Universities were ordered to complete all administrative procedures, including issuing No Objection Certificates (NOCs), to facilitate the students’ departure.
One directive issued by Fatima Jinnah Medical University listed 21 Afghan students enrolled from the first to fifth year of medical studies and instructed university officials to complete their dismissal within 24 hours. A separate letter from the University of Health Sciences Lahore described the matter as being of the “highest importance” and directly linked it to Pakistan’s national policy.
The orders also suspend all admissions, transfers, placements and academic facilities for Afghan nationals in Pakistan’s medical and dental institutions until further notice. Universities have been instructed to report back to the PM&DC and relevant authorities after implementing the directives.
The decision affects students studying under Pakistan’s Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship Programme, administered by the Higher Education Commission (HEC). Students say nearly 1,000 Afghan men and women are currently enrolled in medical colleges across Pakistan through government-funded scholarships, and many are only months away from graduation and final examinations.
Afghan students say they are being punished for political tensions between Islamabad and the Taliban despite having no connection to the Taliban or its policies. They have appealed to the Pakistani government to separate education from political disputes and allow them to complete degrees they have spent years pursuing.
Female students say the consequences are particularly severe because many had already lost years of education after the Taliban banned women from universities in Afghanistan. Some began medical studies in Afghanistan before 2021 and later transferred to Pakistan to continue their education after restrictions on women were imposed.
Students told local media that the abrupt order leaves them with virtually no time to collect their belongings, vacate university hostels or seek legal assistance. Many said they have contacted the Afghan embassy in Islamabad and Pakistani authorities but were told the decision was political and outside the universities’ authority to change.
The expulsions come as Pakistan has tightened measures affecting Afghan nationals, including deportations, visa restrictions and increased scrutiny of residency status. Human rights groups and education advocates have warned that removing Afghan students; particularly women from medical schools could further deepen Afghanistan’s education and healthcare crisis by denying the country a future generation of trained doctors.
The move has drawn growing criticism from former Pakistani officials and rights advocates, who argue that students admitted through official scholarship programs should be allowed to complete their education. They warn that forcing young Afghan women back to Afghanistan risks ending their academic careers in a country where women remain barred from university education.
