Lahore High Court Suspends Orders Expelling Afghan Medical Students

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Friday stayed the implementation of Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) notifications ordering the expulsion of Afghan students from medical and dental colleges. Justice Khalid Ishaq heard a petition filed by 30 Afghan students, including Syed Mobeen Ulfati, challenging the PMDC notifications issued on July 31 and September 1. The court issued notices to the federal government, PMDC and other respondents and sought their replies by September 18. During the hearing, the PMDC counsel told the court that the visas of the students facing expulsion were no longer valid. Justice Ishaq questioned how the students had been admitted to the institutions if their visas were not valid. The petitioners contended that the PMDC notifications ordering their expulsion were unlawful and asked the court to declare them void. Earlier, the PMDC had barred the admission, placement and transfer of Afghan nationals to medical and dental colleges across Pakistan until further orders. In a letter addressed to principals, deans and heads of medical and dental colleges, the council directed all public and private medical and dental institutions to comply with its instructions. The PMDC said no admission, placement, transfer, migration or other form of facilitation of Afghan nationals would be permitted during the current academic session until further orders. The council also directed that Afghan nationals already enrolled in medical or dental programmes in Pakistan should return to Afghanistan in accordance with the prevailing government policy. The development comes amid Pakistan’s ongoing repatriation drive involving undocumented foreign nationals. Pakistan launched its repatriation campaign in 2023 and expanded it in 2025 following changes in the legal status of Afghan nationals residing in the country. According to official figures presented before a Senate committee, more than one million Afghan nationals have been deported from Pakistan since the campaign began. On June 29, the Ministry of Interior directed provincial governments and law-enforcement agencies to take immediate action against Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan without valid visas. Under the directive, which took effect on July 10, 2026, Afghan nationals found residing in the country without valid visas were to be arrested under the government’s Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP). US diesel prices ‌hit a record high as attacks along key Middle East shipping routes stoked prolonged supply disruption fears.