Pakistan’s medical regulator has issued new instructions affecting Afghan students studying medicine and dentistry in the country.
Under the directive, Afghan students currently enrolled in medical and dental colleges have been asked to return to Afghanistan. The decision applies to Afghan nationals studying at institutions across Pakistan.
The regulator has also instructed medical and dental colleges not to admit Afghan nationals under the new policy. Institutions have further been barred from facilitating transfers or taking other steps that would allow Afghan nationals to continue their medical or dental education in Pakistan.
The directive is expected to affect students currently pursuing professional healthcare degrees and institutions involved in their academic arrangements.
Medical and dental education in Pakistan is governed through regulatory requirements covering admissions, transfers and institutional recognition. The latest instructions place additional restrictions on Afghan nationals enrolled in these programmes.
The development could have a significant impact on Afghan students who have been pursuing their medical education in Pakistan and may now have to make arrangements to continue their studies elsewhere.
Colleges and universities have been directed to follow the regulator’s instructions regarding Afghan students and future admissions.
The decision marks a new development in the regulation of foreign students studying medicine and dentistry in Pakistan and is likely to draw attention from affected students, families and educational institutions.
