Sindh court allows Afghan medical students to resume classes

The Sindh High Court has ordered a medical university in Pakistan’s southern Sindh province to allow Afghan students to resume classes, extending temporary protection for students challenging a directive requiring them to return to Afghanistan.

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), which regulates medical education, recently directed medical colleges to arrange for enrolled Afghan students to return to Afghanistan and barred new admissions or placements for Afghan nationals during the current academic year.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office, however, has said Afghan students holding valid visas and enrolled in recognized programmes can complete their education, raising questions over the application of the PMDC directive to existing students.

The case comes amid Pakistan’s ongoing campaign to return Afghan nationals, which began in 2023 with a deadline for undocumented foreigners to leave the country.

Islamabad has cited immigration enforcement and security concerns. More than two million Afghans have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan since the campaign began, including voluntary returnees and deportees.

The Sindh High Court suspended the PMDC directive for the students challenging it on September 14.

During Tuesday’s hearing, lawyers for the students told the court that Jinnah Sindh Medical University had prevented Afghan students from attending classes, disabled their biometric access and moved to evict them from university hostels.

The court ordered the university to restore the students’ access and ensure their education is not disrupted before the next hearing.

Advocate Iftikhar Shah, who represents some of the students, said the court’s earlier protection remained in place, allowing the students to continue their studies and remain in their university accommodation.

Shah said the relief covered 29 students in one petition and three in another, although the final number will be confirmed once the written court order is issued.

According to Shah, a lawyer representing the medical regulator told the court that the PMDC had not received copies of the petitions. The court directed that the documents be provided and adjourned the case pending the regulator’s response, without setting a new hearing date.

Afghan students and trainee doctors have also sought legal protection in other parts of Pakistan.

Courts in Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have granted temporary relief in some cases, while the Balochistan High Court dismissed a petition by Afghan nationals seeking to continue their medical education and training.

An Islamabad court has separately granted protection to an Afghan doctor undergoing postgraduate training. The differing court rulings have yet to resolve the status of Afghan medical students across Pakistan.

Some of the Sindh petitioners are studying under a Pakistani government scholarship programme for Afghan nationals.

Two women expecting to graduate from a Karachi medical college in 2027 have argued that being forced to leave Pakistan before completing their degrees would end their medical education.

The issue is particularly significant for female Afghan students, as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) authorities prohibit women from attending universities, including medical training programmes.