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HRW urges Pakistan to halt expulsion of Afghan medical students
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has condemned Pakistan’s reported decision to expel Afghan medical and dental students, warning that the move could deprive dozens of young Afghans, particularly women, of their education.
According to HRW, Pakistani authorities have instructed medical and dental institutions to expel Afghan nationals and arrange for their return to Afghanistan. The organization described the measure as the latest in a series of actions targeting Afghans living in Pakistan.
Pakistan’s medical institutions have reportedly suspended new admissions for Afghan nationals. At Lahore’s King Edward Medical University, 20 Afghan medical students – including four women and seven students in their final year – were instructed to report within 24 hours to complete departure formalities, HRW said.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan estimates that around 100 Afghan medical and dental students in Lahore could be affected, including between 20 and 40 women. Some students have reportedly sought assistance from the organization, including safe shelter and legal support, amid fears of imminent deportation.
HRW said Pakistan’s obligations under the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights require equal access to higher education based on ability and without discrimination. The UN committee responsible for monitoring the treaty has previously clarified that these protections apply to non-nationals regardless of their immigration status.
“Removing enrolled students just because they are Afghan is contrary to these protections,” HRW said.
The rights group also pointed to Pakistan’s broader campaign against undocumented and other Afghan migrants, saying authorities have arbitrarily arrested and forcibly returned hundreds of thousands of Afghans, including people who had lived in Pakistan for decades.
HRW called on Pakistani authorities to immediately withdraw the expulsion orders, restore the affected students’ enrollment and reverse the ban on admissions for Afghan nationals.
The organization also urged Pakistan to allow Afghan students to remain lawfully in the country until they complete their degrees and to assess the protection needs of individual students.
Gul Hassan Hassan, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) ambassador to Russia, said on Friday that the group’s leadership and centers had been completely eliminated from Afghan territory.
He made the remarks during a joint security conference in Moscow involving the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which focused on security issues in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
Hassan stressed that the IEA would not allow anyone to use Afghan territory against other countries.
He also said the IEA had made significant progress in strengthening security, combating narcotics and boosting the country’s economy over the past five-plus years.
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CSTO chief says IEA has become long-term political actor in Afghanistan
Masadykov said CSTO member states have stepped up bilateral engagement with the IEA authorities in Kabul to promote economic development.
Talatbek Masadykov, secretary-general of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), has said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has become a long-term political actor in the country, noting that most CSTO member states have intensified contacts with IEA officials.
Masadykov said CSTO member states have stepped up bilateral engagement with the IEA authorities in Kabul to promote economic development, strengthen social stability and reduce security risks originating from Afghanistan.
He stressed that Afghanistan urgently needs peace, stability and economic development, adding that addressing poverty, drug trafficking, terrorist activities, armed conflicts and other security threats requires pragmatic, coordinated and gradual international engagement with the country.
The CSTO secretary-general also highlighted the importance of closer coordination among the CSTO, the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in supporting peace and stability in Afghanistan.
Masadykov made the remarks during a joint meeting of representatives from the three organizations focused on security in Central Asia and Afghanistan.
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Lavrov warns of western-backed ‘color revolutions,’ raises concerns over Afghanistan’s regional security
He also warned that radical groups were seeking to use Afghanistan as a launching pad to expand threats towards Central Asia and Russia.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has warned that any country, including Russia’s partners in Central Asia, could become a target of what he described as Western-orchestrated “color revolutions,” while raising concerns about security threats emerging from Afghanistan.
According to Russia’s TASS news agency, Lavrov made the remarks on Friday, October 16, during a conference on security in Central Asia and Afghanistan in Moscow, attended by representatives of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).
Lavrov said attempts to initiate such movements in several neighbouring countries had already been thwarted.
Lavrov Raises Concerns Over Afghanistan’s Security Legacy
Referring to the two decades of US and NATO military presence in Afghanistan, Lavrov said the consequences of what he described as an unsuccessful occupation would take a long time to overcome.
He also warned that radical groups were seeking to use Afghanistan as a launching pad to expand threats towards Central Asia and Russia.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly stated that Afghan territory will not be used against any neighboring country, and that no armed group will be permitted to operate.
The meeting was held with the participation of representatives from the Collective Security Treaty Organization, the Commonwealth of Independent States, and the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
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