A petition has been filed in the Islamabad High Court challenging a recent notification issued by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) that affects Afghan students studying at medical institutions in Pakistan.

The petition was submitted on behalf of Afghan students by Islami Jamiat-e-Talaba (IJT), which said it is seeking legal relief for students impacted by the directive.

According to a statement issued on Tuesday, IJT chief Sahibzada Waseem Haider visited the Islamabad High Court alongside Afghan students from the Federal Medical College in Islamabad and IJT Islamabad chief Hashir Abbasi. Legal representation is being provided by Advocate Imran Shafiq and his team.

The move comes as Afghan medical students continue to challenge PMDC directives that could affect their ability to continue their studies in Pakistan.

Earlier, the Lahore High Court and the Sindh High Court granted interim relief to Afghan students through stay orders, temporarily preventing the implementation of measures affecting students enrolled in institutions across Punjab and Sindh.

“We remain hopeful that, following a detailed hearing, the students’ academic future will be safeguarded and the PMDC’s unjust notification will be reviewed,” Haider said in the statement.

He added that IJT has actively supported Afghan students and organised solidarity demonstrations at medical and dental colleges across Pakistan.

The issue has sparked concern among Afghan students studying in Pakistan, many of whom are enrolled in advanced years of their medical education and fear that changes to regulations could disrupt their studies and future careers.

The Islamabad High Court is expected to consider the petition and determine whether relief should be granted to the affected students while the case proceeds.

Afghanistan and India are exploring expanded cooperation in quality control, medical supplies, medicines and food products, as Afghanistan seeks to strengthen its standards and improve access to quality products.

Hamdullah Zahid, Afghanistan’s Deputy Minister for Food and Medicine, led a delegation that visited a private laboratory in Mumbai during a trip to India.

The delegation reviewed the laboratory’s procedures for testing medicines and food products destined for export, with discussions focusing on quality, safety and technical standards.

The two sides also discussed potential cooperation in quality control, technical capacity-building and the use of the laboratory’s expertise to strengthen Afghanistan’s capabilities.

Under an agreement reached during the visit, the laboratory will submit a detailed proposal outlining possible areas of cooperation. Afghan officials will review the proposal before further technical discussions are held.

The laboratory also expressed readiness to assist Afghanistan with capacity-building, while the Ministry of Public Health will provide information needed to facilitate practical use of its technical expertise.

Focus on trade and technology

The Afghan delegation also visited a medical equipment manufacturer, a major food-processing facility and a factory producing raw materials for medical products in Gujarat.

Officials examined production processes, technology, technical capacity and quality standards at the facilities.

Discussions focused on supplying Afghanistan with medical equipment, food products and pharmaceutical raw materials, while also exploring opportunities to expand trade and make greater use of Indian industrial capacity.

The companies agreed to provide detailed lists of their products, which will be assessed against Afghanistan’s requirements to identify opportunities to supply quality products at competitive prices.

The Afghan delegation also invited representatives of the medical equipment manufacturer to visit Afghanistan to explore technology and knowledge transfer and assess the potential for producing medical equipment inside the country.

The Ministry of Public Health said the engagements could help strengthen Afghanistan’s quality-control systems while creating opportunities for technology transfer, technical capacity-building and improved access to standard health-related products.

Flash floods affected more than 1,100 families across 14 provinces of Afghanistan in July, damaging or destroying over 1,100 homes, according to UNICEF’s latest humanitarian situation report covering July 1–31.

UNICEF said 1,168 families were affected by the floods, while 1,164 homes were damaged or destroyed.

In Parun, the capital of Nuristan province, 23 people were killed in flooding, while water services for around 1,000 families were disrupted.

Despite the ongoing humanitarian challenges, UNICEF said it continued supporting essential health services across the country through 2,393 static health facilities and 16 mobile facilities.

The UN agency also responded to 245 disease outbreaks during July, while approximately 183,000 children under the age of five received measles vaccinations.

Access to clean water and sanitation also remained a key focus. During the month, around 96,300 people gained access to safe drinking water, while 89,061 people received basic sanitation services. Essential WASH supplies were also provided to 180,814 people.

Child malnutrition remained another major concern. UNICEF and its partners screened approximately 1.1 million children for wasting during July, with 104,602 children admitted for treatment.

In addition, 10.3 million children aged 6–59 months received vitamin A supplementation as part of efforts to prevent malnutrition and protect child health.

UNICEF said its humanitarian response remains focused on ensuring vulnerable children and families across Afghanistan can access essential health, nutrition, water and sanitation services amid continued humanitarian needs.