Petition filed in Islamabad High Court against PMDC directive affecting Afghan students

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.