Afghan Doctors in Pakistan Demand Visa Relief to Finish Specialty Training

Several Afghan physicians currently undertaking specialty training in Pakistani hospitals claim they have been denied entry and their programs suspended by Pakistani authorities. The doctors, who are in the final year of their legally approved courses, stress the need to complete their studies before returning to Afghanistan. They report that visa applications have been repeatedly rejected and that a recent government order requires all Afghan medical trainees to depart by a specific date.

One trainee in nephrology, Shafiqallah, asked the Pakistani government for the chance to finish his training, while others in pediatrics and general surgery echoed the same request. The physicians appealed to both Afghan and Pakistani officials to keep education separate from political tensions and to issue the necessary visas. They warn that the forced expulsions could undermine the healthcare workforce in both countries.