Pakistan Allows Afghan Students With Valid Visas to Continue Studies

Overview

• The Foreign Office clarified that Afghan students enrolled in recognised degree programmes and holding valid visas may remain in Pakistan to finish their studies.
• The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council issued orders restricting new admissions and directing some Afghan students to return, prompting universities in Punjab to ask dozens of students to complete departure formalities.
• A Lahore High Court has barred Punjab medical colleges from expelling Afghan students while petitions by more than 30 students challenge the regulator’s directives and a hearing continues next week.
• PM&DC says it has identified roughly 200 Afghan medical students but only 22 are registered with the regulator and the council is still verifying the documentation of the remaining students.
• The dispute plays out against a wider repatriation drive that has seen large Afghan returns and could affect visa extensions, scholarship placements and whether students can legally complete training or seek medical licensure in Pakistan.