The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) clarified on Thursday that there was no nationality-based prohibition on medical education in Pakistan, saying its ongoing review of Afghan medical students was a matter of regulatory compliance and documentation rather than discrimination against any particular nationality. In a statement, the PMDC said Pakistan continued to welcome foreign nationals seeking medical and dental education in the country in accordance with its regulatory framework and applicable government policies, adding that foreign students who fulfilled the prescribed academic, registration, documentation and immigration requirements were facilitated through the established system.
The council said a verification and regulatory review of Afghan medical students had established that more than 200 were studying medicine in Pakistan, whereas only 22 were presently registered with PMDC. "Of these, 14 had completed their degree programmes while eight were expected to graduate next year," it said. The council noted, however, that completion of a medical degree did not by itself confer a right to remain in Pakistan for employment or medical practice, and that those intending to practice in Pakistan must fulfil applicable licensing and registration requirements.
The verification process concerning the remaining 176 students was still underway and the figure was therefore subject to final confirmation, the council said. PMDC said students who were not registered with it and did not possess the requisite permission under the applicable framework could not be treated as lawfully enrolled foreign medical students within Pakistan's regulated medical education system, adding that its actions were based on documented status, applicable rules and directions of the competent authorities.
"It is important to clarify that there is no nationality-based prohibition on medical education in Pakistan," the statement said. "The issue is one of compliance with the applicable regulatory, documentation and immigration requirements." The council said no foreign national could lawfully pursue medical education in Pakistan outside the prescribed regulatory framework, nor could any foreign national remain in Pakistan without valid immigration status. PMDC said it recognised the importance of treating students with dignity and ensuring that the process was handled in an orderly and humane manner, adding that students affected by the current decision were being facilitated in completing necessary formalities and making arrangements for their return in accordance with applicable government policy.
The council reaffirmed Pakistan's commitment to its longstanding tradition of educational cooperation and hospitality, saying foreign students who met the prescribed requirements remained welcome in PMDC-recognised medical and dental institutions. It said it would continue to facilitate legitimate foreign medical education while ensuring that regulatory standards, legal requirements and patient safety were not compromised. Meanwhile, the Pakistan Islamic Medical Association (PIMA) and a large number of healthcare professionals have urged the government to allow Afghan medical students already enrolled in Pakistani institutions, particularly final-year students, to complete their education before leaving the country.
In a statement issued on Thursday, PIMA expressed serious concern over the move and called for a review on humanitarian and educational grounds. PIMA Acting President Prof Muhammad Tayyab said Afghan students whose medical education and clinical training were in progress, and whose academic and legal documents were complete, should be allowed to finish their programmes. He said abruptly disrupting the education of students who had spent years in medical colleges would place their academic and professional futures in uncertainty.
Prof Tayyab said Afghanistan was already facing an acute shortage of doctors and other healthcare workers. Afghan graduates completing their medical education in Pakistan could return home and contribute to healthcare services in their country, he added. Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) Secretary General Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro also called for a review of the decision on humanitarian grounds, saying students in the final year of their medical programmes should be permitted to complete their education.
He said removing students at the final stage of their degree would waste years of academic work and prevent them from becoming qualified doctors at a time when Afghanistan needed trained medical professionals. Several doctors, teachers and healthcare providers said the government should distinguish between students who had valid legal documents and those whose immigration status or documentation had lapsed. They said students lawfully admitted to medical colleges, especially those in final-year MBBS and BDS programmes or already undergoing clinical training, should be provided a clear, time-bound arrangement to complete their degrees.
They said forcing students to leave midway through professional education could be viewed as collective punishment, a principle Pakistan has repeatedly opposed in other humanitarian and international contexts. Some doctors also said the decision could affect the country's academic reputation among international students and institutions, particularly if students with valid documentation were unable to complete programmes for which they had secured admission and paid fees.
They urged the authorities to issue a transparent policy specifying which Afghan students were covered by the directive, the status of those holding valid visas and residence documents, and whether final-year students, graduates awaiting formalities and trainees would be given an exemption. A smaller number of healthcare providers, however, supported the government's action, maintaining that all foreign nationals must comply with immigration rules and that institutions.