PHC halts deportation of Afghan medical students

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has temporarily stopped the deportation of 14 Afghan students studying at medical and dental colleges in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has temporarily stopped the deportation of 14 Afghan students studying at medical and dental colleges in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Farah Jamshed heard a petition filed by the Afghan students. Advocate Waseemuddin Khattak represented the petitioners, while Assistant Attorney General Ishaq Khalil and National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) law officer Muhammad Mubarak Jan appeared for the respondents.

During the hearing, the students’ lawyer told the court that all 14 petitioners were Afghan nationals who had secured admission to different medical and dental colleges under the designated Afghan quota.

He said the admissions had been granted through the required legal procedure. The Higher Education Commission (HEC) had also issued no-objection certificates to help the students obtain visas and continue their education in Pakistan.

The lawyer said the students were already enrolled in different medical and dental programmes when the government began implementing its plan for the repatriation of Afghan refugees.

According to the petition, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) later issued notices on July 31 and September 1 cancelling the admissions of Afghan students and directing them to return to Afghanistan.

The petitioners challenged the decision in the high court, arguing that their admissions could not be cancelled without first giving them an opportunity to explain their position.

Their counsel maintained that the PMDC’s decision violated constitutional protections, including Article 25, and was also inconsistent with the NOCs previously issued by the HEC.

He further argued that the PMDC did not have the legal authority to cancel the students’ admissions in the manner adopted.

The court was also informed about a similar case before the Lahore High Court, which had earlier suspended PMDC orders concerning Afghan medical students and allowed them to continue their studies.

The petitioners requested the PHC to prevent authorities from forcing them to leave Pakistan or taking any action that could disrupt their education.

After hearing the arguments, the PHC stopped the forced deportation of the 14 students and issued notices to the concerned authorities. The respondents were directed to submit their replies within 14 days.

The court also ordered that the Afghan students be allowed to continue their education until the next hearing.

The case has been adjourned until October 12.