The federal government of Pakistan has decided to stop recognising higher-education degrees obtained from educational institutions in Afghanistan, a notification issued by the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has said.
The decision will apply to graduation and post-graduation degrees obtained from Afghanistan, which the Higher Education Commission (HEC) will no longer recognise for employment or job-seeking purposes in federal or provincial institutions across Pakistan.
However, individuals who completed post-graduate degrees in Afghanistan before the notification will be allowed to seek recognition through a formal HEC assessment process.
They will have to take a prescribed test followed by an equivalence assessment, which determines whether a foreign qualification corresponds to a Pakistani qualification.
The notification, dated August 27, 2026, said that candidates who successfully complete the required tests and assessments will be issued an official equivalence certificate.
Such certification is used to establish the academic standing of a foreign degree within Pakistan’s education system.
The ministry directed the HEC to formulate the proposed testing mechanism and share it with the Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training by mid-September.
Existing degree holders seeking an equivalence certificate must submit their applications by November 6, 2026, the notification stated.
It described the date as the “absolute last date” and said no applications will be accepted after the deadline.
The decision was communicated by Federal Secretary Nadeem Mahbub to the HEC chairman. Copies of the directive were also forwarded to the chief commissioner of the Islamabad Capital Territory, chief secretaries of Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, the chief secretary of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, the chief secretary of Gilgit-Baltistan, and education secretaries of all provinces.
The ministry asked the relevant authorities to disseminate the directive among public and private-sector stakeholders and ensure compliance.
