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Peshawar High Court halts deportation of Afghan medical students
The students’ lawyer argued that the PMDC decisions were issued without prior notice and conflicted with the NOCs previously granted by the HEC.
The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has temporarily halted the deportation of 14 Afghan medical and dental students enrolled at colleges across Pakistan’s Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa province.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Farah Jamshed issued notices to the relevant authorities and directed them to submit written responses within 14 days. The court adjourned the case until October 12.
The students told the court that they had been admitted to medical and dental colleges under the Afghan quota through the prescribed legal process. They said Pakistan’s Higher Education Commission (HEC) had also issued them no-objection certificates (NOCs) to facilitate their visa applications.
The case follows decisions by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on July 31 and September 1 to cancel the admissions of Afghan students and direct them to return to Afghanistan as part of Pakistan’s ongoing repatriation policy.
The students’ lawyer argued that the PMDC decisions were issued without prior notice and conflicted with the NOCs previously granted by the HEC.
He also referred to a similar ruling by the Lahore High Court, which suspended PMDC orders affecting Afghan medical students.
Pending further proceedings, the Peshawar High Court has directed that the 14 students be allowed to continue their education while their case is under consideration.