Pakistan Orders Expulsion of Afghan Medical Students Amid Strained Ties

ISLAMABAD - The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has ordered all Afghan students enrolled in medical and dental colleges across the country to return to Afghanistan, while also barring new admissions, in a significant extension of the government's repatriation policy .

> Pakistan needs to expel every Afghan national student from universities.

> Pakistan needs to expel every Afghan national student from universities.

This is what some Afghan students are doing spreading hatred against Pakistan even after studying here. pic.twitter.com/QvM9iFq85J

- Zard si Gana (@ZardSi) September 8, 2026

According to a PMDC directive dated September 1, 2026, institutions must complete all administrative formalities to facilitate the departure of Afghan nationals from their programs . "Afghan nationals previously enrolled in medical or dental programs in Pakistan are required to return to Afghanistan," the regulator said, warning that no new admissions, transfers, or placements would be permitted during the current academic session .

The order, which applies to students at all levels including those in their final year, comes as Pakistan intensifies deportations amid deteriorating relations with Afghanistan's Taliban government . Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of allowing militant groups like the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) to use Afghan soil for cross-border attacks-allegations Kabul denies . Tensions have escalated into deadly cross-border clashes in recent months .

Impact on Afghan Students

King Edward Medical University (KEMU) in Lahore has already acted on the PMDC directive, instructing 20 Afghan MBBS students to complete formalities for their departure within 24 hours . University records show that among those affected are seven final-year students nearing the completion of their medical education .

Pakistani authorities have given some students as little as 24 hours to leave the country . Many of the affected students were admitted under the Allama Muhammad Iqbal Scholarship, administered by Pakistan's Higher Education Commission, and have invested years of study . They argue they have no connection to Taliban policies and are calling on Pakistan to reconsider the decision .

A health ministry official told Dawn that the decision was made due to "ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul" . The Foreign Office reiterated that, under the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan, any foreign national without a valid visa and passport is liable for deportation . However, officials also noted that visa extension applications from Afghan students are still being processed "in line with our existing policy" .

International Criticism

Amnesty International has condemned the PMDC decision, calling it "patently discriminatory and arbitrary" . In a statement, the rights group said the consequences are especially severe for female students, many of whom had already been denied access to higher education in Afghanistan and now face the loss of "one of the few remaining pathways to pursue their education and profession" .

Humanitarian concerns have been raised as over 2.6 million Afghans have returned from Pakistan since September 2023 . Rights groups warn that forced returns pose severe risks, particularly to vulnerable populations . While Pakistan maintains the expulsions are necessary for national security and immigration enforcement , students say they are being punished for broader political disputes. "We are asking Islamabad not to let its dispute with the Taliban block our future," one medical student told Hasht-e Subh .