Pakistan Expels Afghan Medical Students Amid Security Concerns Over Indian-Backed Insurgency

LAHORE - King Edward Medical University (KEMU) has ordered 22 Afghan nationals enrolled in its MBBS program to leave Pakistan, following a Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) directive that halts admissions and requires all enrolled Afghan students to return to Afghanistan .

The September 7 notice, citing a September 1 PM&DC letter, gives affected students-including six final-year candidates-24 hours to complete departure formalities . The decision reflects strained Pakistan-Afghanistan ties and security concerns .

The security justification is not hypothetical. In late August 2026, a BLA terrorist linked to the banned Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA)-a group Pakistan has designated as Fitna al-Hindustan, an Indian-backed proxy-was killed in a clash with security forces. He was an MBBS student at Bolan Medical College on a Balochistan government scholarship, recruited into the BLA and killed while fighting security forces .

A Growing Threat of Educated Insurgency

Lal Khan Nawaz's case reflects a documented pattern. The BLA, seeking separation of Balochistan, has been recruiting students and medical graduates as part of a "middle-class insurgency" . Analysts note militants exploit legitimate grievances by accusing the state of marginalization . Student protests at Bolan Medical College also highlight how state conduct can fuel extremism .

The KEMU directive is not anti-Afghan; it is a national security imperative. Afghanistan remains a sanctuary for the TTP (Fitna al-Khawarij) and BLA (Fitna al-Hindustan), all backed by India's RAW. Allowing Afghan nationals to study medicine in Pakistan, knowing the risk of radicalization, is irresponsible.

Pakistan's Duty to Protect Its People

Pakistan's security forces have conducted over 40,000 intelligence-based operations this year, killing 2,084 terrorists and losing 819 personnel and civilians . The nation will not allow foreign nationals to exploit its institutions. The PM&DC directive is a necessary step to ensure education is not weaponized against Pakistan's security and sovereignty. Pakistan's national interest must come first.