The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has issued a notice to students from Pakistan enrolled in medicine and dentistry programs in Afghanistan, as authorities enforce the deportation of non-citizens.
Graduates from institutions in Afghanistan will not be eligible to practice in Pakistan and will receive no registration from the council, the notification said.
The council stated that institutions in Afghanistan lack approval from the Education Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates. Consequently, graduates cannot sit for the National Registration Examination (NRE) of Pakistan.
The directive comes amidst the government’s “Illegal foreigners repatriation plan,” which commenced on October 3, 2023. The nationwide initiative initially required undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country or face government action.
The repatriation campaign expanded into subsequent phases targeting Afghan Citizen Card (ACC) holders and Proof of Registration cardholders. Reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the International Organization for Migration (IOM) indicate that over 2.5 million Afghan nationals returned or faced deportation to Afghanistan between September 2023 and mid-2026.
