The Lahore High Court has ordered that Afghan students not be expelled from medical colleges in Pakistan’s Punjab province. Justice Khalid Ishaq issued the order Friday after hearing petitions filed by more than 30 Afghan students.
During the hearing, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) claimed some students lacked necessary documents and valid visas. The court questioned, however, how they had been allowed to pursue medical education for four years without the required papers. The judge said the students should have been heard before any expulsion.
The court also rejected the national security argument, saying the matter did not involve any national security concern. It ordered medical colleges not to expel the students or cancel their exam scripts. The hearing was adjourned until next Friday.
PMDC had earlier said there was no nationality-based ban on Afghan medical students studying in Pakistan. But the council’s own review found that while more than 200 Afghan students have studied medicine in Pakistan, only 22 are currently registered with PMDC. Of them, 14 have completed their degrees and eight are expected to graduate next year. PMDC said verification of documents for the remaining 176 students is ongoing.
In a statement, PMDC said its ongoing review of Afghan medical students concerns rules and documentation, not discrimination against any particular nationality.
The council maintains that without proper registration, documentation and immigration permits, no foreign student can be considered legally admitted into Pakistan’s regulated medical education system.