ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has directed medical and dental institutions across Pakistan to complete the necessary administrative formalities to facilitate the return of previously enrolled Afghan students to Afghanistan, while barring the admission of Afghan nationals during the current academic session.
In a letter dated Sept. 1, 2026, the council instructed institutions to ensure compliance with prevailing policy directions concerning Afghan nationals. The communication reiterated earlier instructions issued by PMDC on July 31.
Under the directive, medical and dental colleges have been asked to complete all required administrative procedures, including the issuance of necessary no-objection certificates (NOCs), for Afghan nationals previously enrolled in medical or dental programmes who are required to return to Afghanistan.
The instructions also extend to prospective students. Afghan nationals will not be allowed admission or placement in medical and dental institutions during the current academic session, according to the PMDC communication.
The council has further barred the placement, transfer or migration of Afghan nationals within medical and dental institutions and directed colleges to strictly comply with its instructions.
Colleges asked to complete formalities for enrolled Afghan students
The PMDC communication places the responsibility for implementing the directions on the institutions where Afghan students are enrolled.
Medical and dental colleges have been instructed to complete the required administrative process, including the issuance of requisite NOCs and other formalities connected with the students' return.
The council also directed institutions not to provide any unauthorized or other prohibited facilitation to Afghan nationals and warned them to strictly follow the instructions already communicated.
Institutions that had not submitted compliance reports were given three days to provide complete details.
The PMDC warned that failure to comply with its directions, concealment of information or the provision of unauthorized assistance could result in regulatory action under the PMDC Act 2022.
New admissions and student movement barred
Alongside directions concerning Afghan students already enrolled in Pakistan, the PMDC has imposed restrictions on the entry and movement of Afghan nationals within the country's medical and dental education system.
According to the council, Afghan nationals will not be granted admission during the current academic session. They will also not be allowed placement, transfer or migration in medical and dental institutions.
The decision affects both major stages of the issue: institutions must deal with the administrative process involving previously enrolled Afghan students while new Afghan admissions and other forms of student movement are prohibited for the current academic session.
The directive applies to medical and dental education, placing institutions offering programmes in both disciplines under the PMDC's compliance requirements.
Universities collecting details of Afghan students
The PMDC directions come as universities and medical institutions gather information about Afghan nationals enrolled in their programmes.
A health ministry official told media that an “in principle” decision had been made to send Afghan students enrolled in Pakistani medical universities back to Afghanistan, citing the wider circumstances surrounding relations between Islamabad and Kabul.
Letters had been sent to medical universities seeking details about Afghan nationals enrolled in their constituent medical and dental colleges, including the number of students studying in each year, according to the official.
The official said PMDC had information about most Afghan medical students but that some could potentially have been missed or mistakenly identified as nationals of another country or as local students.
Once the information is collected, the lists are expected to be shared with the relevant authorities for further decisions. The official said the policy applied specifically to Afghan students and not to students of other nationalities.
Foreign Office says visa extensions still being processed
The development has also raised questions about the immigration status of Afghan students in Pakistan.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan, responding to questions about reports of Afghan students being expelled, said that under the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan (IFRP), the stay of any foreign national in Pakistan without a valid visa and passport is illegal and the individual is liable to deportation.
However, he said Pakistani authorities were continuing to process visa-extension applications from Afghan students in accordance with existing policies, rules and regulations.
The clarification is important because the PMDC directive concerns the regulation of medical and dental institutions and the academic status of Afghan students, while questions concerning an individual's right to remain in Pakistan are also governed by the country's immigration and visa framework.
Reports of Afghan students' removal prompt scrutiny
The PMDC communication emerged amid reports circulating on social media about the alleged expulsion of Afghan nationals studying at public-sector medical colleges in Lahore.
A vice chancellor of a medical university confirmed to a leading Pakistani media group that institutions had received PMDC's instructions and had begun collecting particulars of Afghan students.
The vice chancellor said Afghan students were enrolled in undergraduate and postgraduate programmes and that universities had been directed to provide their data, although institutions were initially not told the reason for the proposed action.
The collection of year-wise and enrolment information has added another layer to the process, as authorities seek to establish a complete record of Afghan students enrolled across medical and dental institutions.
Directive comes amid wider Afghan repatriation policy
The PMDC action comes against the backdrop of Pakistan's broader policy concerning Afghan nationals living in the country.
Pakistan launched a nationwide repatriation and deportation drive targeting undocumented foreign nationals in 2023, while the campaign involving Afghan nationals has continued through subsequent phases.
In June, the Ministry of Interior issued directions concerning Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan without valid visas, with authorities instructed to take action under the government's existing policy.
According to information presented to a Senate committee by officials, Pakistan deported 1,155,221 Afghan nationals in 2025.
The wider repatriation effort has unfolded amid deteriorating relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan, with Islamabad repeatedly raising concerns with the Afghan Taliban authorities over militant groups and security issues.
Against this broader backdrop, the PMDC's Sept. 1 letter brings the issue directly into Pakistan's medical and dental education sector.
What the PMDC directives mean for medical and dental institutions
For institutions, the immediate focus is compliance with the PMDC's directions.
Medical and dental colleges are required to provide the requested information, complete necessary administrative formalities relating to previously enrolled Afghan students and observe restrictions on new admissions, placement, transfer and migration during the current academic session.
Institutions that fail to comply or conceal information could face regulatory consequences under the PMDC Act 2022.
The directive also puts renewed focus on Afghan students currently enrolled in Pakistan's medical and dental education system, particularly as institutions and universities complete the information-gathering and administrative processes required under the council's instructions.
For students, the development has potentially significant implications for the continuation of their education in Pakistan, while the wider questions surrounding their immigration and visa status remain subject to applicable government policies and individual circumstances.
The PMDC's directive therefore represents more than a restriction on future admissions. It requires medical and dental institutions to take immediate administrative action concerning Afghan students already enrolled while closing the door to new Afghan admissions and student movement during the current academic session.
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