Pakistan Suspends Medical And Dental Education For Afghan Students, Orders Current Students To Leave

The decision was communicated through the University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore after directives from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the country's medical education regulator. The order affects MBBS and BDS programmes across institutions affiliated with UHS and applies to the 2026–27 academic year.

Under the directive, universities have been told they cannot admit new Afghan students, process transfers from other institutions, or continue academic procedures for Afghan nationals in medical and dental programmes during the current academic session. University departments were instructed to complete administrative formalities related to the students' departure and submit compliance reports within 24 hours.

The move affects Afghan students who had already been studying medicine and dentistry in Pakistan, many of whom relocated after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in 2021. Pakistani universities have hosted hundreds of Afghan students in recent years through scholarships, reciprocal arrangements and private enrolment programmes.

The PMDC has instructed medical universities and colleges to comply with the suspension as part of regulatory measures governing admissions and registration for the new academic year. The council has also issued recent directives tightening oversight of medical education institutions and admissions across Pakistan.

The University of Health Sciences, which oversees admissions and examinations for more than 120 affiliated medical and dental colleges in Punjab, has asked its administrative offices to facilitate documentation for Afghan students' return and complete all pending academic procedures related to their departure.

The suspension has created uncertainty for Afghan medical students who remain in Pakistan, many of whom fled Afghanistan after restrictions on women's education and broader changes to higher education under Taliban rule.

Human rights organizations and education advocates have repeatedly warned that restrictions on Afghan students' access to higher education in neighboring countries could further limit educational opportunities for young Afghans displaced by conflict and political instability.

Pakistan has not announced an alternative arrangement for Afghan students affected by the directive, and it remains unclear whether any exemptions will be granted for students already enrolled or nearing graduation.

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