Web Desk: Afghan students who hold valid Pakistani visas and are formally enrolled in degree programmes will be permitted to remain in the country and complete their studies, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said on Thursday, seeking to clarify confusion surrounding recent directives affecting Afghan nationals.
Foreign Office spokesperson Sajjad Haider Khan said Islamabad had not introduced a blanket prohibition on Afghan students pursuing education in Pakistan.
“Students holding valid visas and enrolled in recognised degree programmes will be able to continue their studies and complete their education in Pakistan,” Khan told reporters at his weekly briefing in Islamabad.
He said students studying abroad were generally expected to meet the host country’s visa and enrolment requirements, and urged journalists seeking details about a recent directive concerning medical and dental students to approach the Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PM&DC).
The clarification followed a Sept. 1 communication from the PM&DC, which stated that Afghan nationals already studying medicine or dentistry in Pakistan were required to return to Afghanistan.
The regulator also instructed medical institutions not to provide new admissions, placements, transfers, migrations or other forms of facilitation to Afghan nationals.
The directive prompted concern among Afghan students, particularly those already enrolled in professional degree programmes.
Medical institutions in Lahore began implementing the instructions this week. More than 40 Afghan students at two prominent medical universities, including 26 women, were reportedly directed to complete departure formalities within 24 hours, according to university instructions reviewed by Arab News.
The developments triggered appeals from affected students, who asked Pakistani authorities to allow them to remain in the country and finish their education.
Khan said the key issue was whether students affected by the PM&DC communication possessed valid visas and were properly registered in degree programmes.
“You should ask them to clarify whether all these students are validly registered and hold valid visas, who have been asked to go back, or whether there are some deficiencies,” he told reporters.
His comments suggested that the Foreign Office’s position was that students meeting the required legal and educational conditions could continue their studies, while questions concerning particular cases should be addressed with the relevant authorities.
Meanwhile, Pakistan’s Ministry of Kashmir Affairs, Gilgit-Baltistan, States and Frontier Regions (SAFRON) wrote to the Punjab government on Wednesday, asking it to approach the Interior Ministry over the issue of Afghan medical and dental students.
According to the letter, Afghan students enrolled in medical and dental institutions in Punjab hold valid visas and include students studying under Higher Education Commission and other scholarship programmes.
The ministry urged authorities to consider allowing the students to complete their professional degrees on humanitarian grounds and to extend their visas where necessary.
The dispute comes as Pakistan continues a wider campaign to repatriate Afghan nationals, while relations between Islamabad and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have deteriorated sharply.
Pakistan has linked the worsening security situation in its western regions to militant activity and has repeatedly raised concerns about attacks originating from or involving elements based in Afghanistan. Islamabad has also accused Afghan nationals of involvement in militant attacks and suicide bombings, allegations for which it has not publicly provided evidence in every case.
Data from the United Nations refugee agency showed that more than 300,000 Afghans returned from Pakistan during the first seven months of 2026.
Pakistan launched its campaign to repatriate undocumented Afghan nationals in November 2023, citing security concerns and the need to address the presence of people without legal status.
Pakistan has hosted millions of Afghans since the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan in 1979, with successive waves of refugees arriving during decades of conflict and instability.
The Taliban’s return to power in Kabul in 2021 further complicated relations between the two neighbours. Since then, a rise in militant attacks inside Pakistan and disagreements over security issues have placed additional strain on ties.
Against that backdrop, the status of Afghan students has emerged as a sensitive issue, particularly for those who entered Pakistan legally and are already pursuing professional degrees.
For now, the Foreign Office says students with valid visas and legitimate enrolment in degree programmes can continue their education, while questions over specific cases remain subject to clarification from the relevant authorities.
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