Afghan Medical Students Seek Court Relief From Expulsion in Pakistan

Email: online@newsofbahrain.com 

Lahore: Dozens of Afghan students studying medicine and dentistry in Pakistan are hoping that a court hearing on Friday would avoid their expulsion and allow them to complete their education. The students are contesting guidelines issued by the Pakistan Medical and dentistry Council (PMDC) that require Afghan nationals currently enrolled in medical and dentistry programs to return to Afghanistan.

The PMDC informed educational institutions earlier this month that no facilitation will be granted to Afghan citizens during the current academic session, and that previously enrolled Afghan students must return to Afghanistan. The directive has generated various petitions across Pakistan, with students claiming that they should be allowed to complete studies they had already begun.

On September 11, the Lahore High Court stayed the PMDC order after 13 Afghan students appealed their expulsion from Punjab colleges. The court prohibited medical institutions from dismissing the petitioners or cancelling their examinations while the case is ongoing. Other petitions have also been filed in Sindh and Balochistan, with judges issuing varied orders.

The uncertainty is especially worrisome for Afghan women, who face barriers to higher education in Afghanistan. Some Pakistani students who earned scholarships via the Allama Iqbal Scholarship Program claim that going home will prohibit them from completing their medical study. Rights groups have also expressed alarm about the expulsion order's impact on Afghan pupils.

Students are now looking forward to Friday's sessions for more respite. Lawyers for the students believe that authorities should not interrupt their education without giving them a chance to be heard, while the PMDC has cited regulatory and documentation difficulties related to the students' enrolment.