PMDC bans new Afghan admissions and orders current students to leave Pakistan

The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council issued a directive on September 1 ordering all medical and dental colleges to deny admission to Afghan nationals for the present academic term and to ensure that students already enrolled return to Afghanistan. The council asked institutions to complete necessary paperwork, including NOCs, to enable the departures. A health ministry official explained that the decision stems from strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul and that letters have been sent to universities requesting enrollment data.

While the policy targets only Afghan students, the Foreign Office referenced the Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan, emphasizing that staying without a valid visa is illegal. University officials confirmed they are gathering Afghan students' information but have not been given reasons for the action. The directive follows a broader repatriation effort that saw over a million Afghan nationals deported in 2025 and a June interior ministry order to arrest undocumented Afghans.