Hundreds of Pakistani students enrolled at medical and dental universities in Afghanistan are facing uncertainty after Pakistan’s medical regulator ruled that graduates from Afghan medical institutions will no longer be eligible for medical licenses in Pakistan because those universities are not included on its list of recognized institutions.
According to IRAF, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has announced that graduates of medical and dental universities in Afghanistan will not be granted licenses to practice medicine in Pakistan, saying the institutions are not recognized by the council.
The decision has raised concerns among Pakistani students currently studying medicine in Afghanistan, many of whom argue that the universities they enrolled in were recognized by the PMDC at the time of their admission.
The students say the policy change should not be applied retroactively to those who entered Afghan universities under the previous regulations. They also maintain that their admissions were completed with the coordination and approval of the relevant authorities in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
While there are no official figures on the number of Pakistani students studying medicine in Afghanistan, some students estimate that around 4,000 Pakistani nationals are enrolled in approximately 15 medical universities across the country.
They warn that the decision has placed their academic and professional futures in jeopardy and are urging the PMDC to reconsider its position.
The students have said that if the decision remains unchanged, they will pursue legal avenues and organize peaceful protests in an effort to secure recognition of their qualifications.
