Lahore : The Lahore High Court (LHC) has suspended the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) order dated September 1,2026 , directing all medical and dental colleges across Pakistan to expel Afghan medical students from the country.
PM&DC had not given any specific reason in its order for explosion of Afghan medical students from Pakistan. PM&DC order had not only received huge criticism from Afghan families whose sons and daughters had got admission in Pakistani medical and dental colleges on merit , but also public at large in Pakistan was widely concerned over PM&DC’s Royal order to expel Afghan medical students from Pakistan without any solid reason.
Many international human rights organisations and education related groups had also criticised PM&DC ‘s action which could result in devastation of the future of thousands of Afghan medical students presently having medical education in Pakistan.
PM&DC faced huge embarrassment before the court when its council could not give any justification on behalf of it to expel Afghan medical students from Pakistan.
The decision of suspending PM&DC order of September 1,2026;came from Justice Khalid Ishaq, who heared a set of petitions filed by 13 Afghan students enrolled at different institutions in Lahore, including King Edward Medical University, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College and the Services Institute of Medical Sciences
The pleas were filed after the PMDC issued a notification in September 1, directing Afghan medical students enrolled in Pakistani colleges “to return to Afghanistan”. The notification also barred medical and dental colleges from granting admission or placement to Afghan students for the current academic session.
In their pleas, the students referred to the Sept 1 notification, as well as a similar July 31 directive by the PMDC, and requested the LHC to declare them “illegal and unconstitutional”, without lawful authority and void from inception.
On Friday, Advocate Asad Jamal, who was representing the petitioners, contended that the students had been condemned unheard and their rights to education, life and dignity had been violated as the council had transgressed it’s jurisdiction under the PMDC Act.
He said the petitioners’ fundamental rights should be treated in accordance with law.
On the other hand, the council’s lawyer, Haris Azmat, argued against the suspension of the directives, saying that it was a matter of national security.
Justice Ishaq, however, rejected the argument and ordered that the operation of Sept 1 and July 31 directives by the PMDC should be suspended. He further directed that students be allowed to continue education, sit their examinations and return to hostels.
The judge also sought replies from the respondents, including the PMDC, the health ministry and the vice chancellors of the medical varsities and colleges in question, at the next hearing on September 18.
