KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – Pakistan’s medical regulator has ordered Afghan students enrolled in medical and dental programs in the country to return to Afghanistan and barred institutions from admitting new Afghan students, according to local media.
According to Arab News, which cited the official document, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) issued the directive on September 1.
“Afghan nationals previously enrolled in medical or dental programs in Pakistan are required to return to Afghanistan,” the PMDC said, adding that institutions must complete the necessary administrative formalities and facilitate the students’ departure.
The directive also said that, until further orders, no new admissions, placements, transfers, migration or other educational facilities would be permitted for Afghan nationals during the current academic session.
“The matter is of highest priority and relates to national policy directives,” the council said.
The PMDC did not specify how many Afghan students are currently enrolled in medical and dental universities in Pakistan or say whether students nearing completion of their degrees would be exempt from the order.
The latest directive comes as Pakistan has intensified its campaign to repatriate Afghan nationals amid a sharp deterioration in relations with Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities. According to the International Organization for Migration, more than 2.6 million Afghans returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan between September 2023 and July 31, 2026.
Islamabad accuses the Afghan Taliban of harboring TTP fighters and allowing them to plan and launch attacks from Afghan territory. The Taliban rejects the claims, insisting Pakistan’s security challenges are an internal matter and that no such groups operate from Afghan soil.
Tensions escalated further from late 2025, marked by dozens of border clashes, Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan that included targets in Kabul and Kandahar, and retaliatory actions that caused hundreds of casualties, including civilians. Borders between the two countries have remained largely closed for nearly a year, disrupting trade and the movement of people.
Despite several rounds of talks in different countries over the past year, the two sides have yet to reach an agreement to ease tensions. Islamabad has been seeking stronger action by the Taliban against the TTP and assurances that Afghan territory will not be used to launch attacks against Pakistan.
