Washington, September 10, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged Pakistani authorities to withdraw orders directing the expulsion of Afghan medical and dental students and restore their enrolment, warning that deportation could have particularly serious consequences for Afghan women pursuing medical education.
The rights organisation’s appeal follows a decision by Pakistan directing medical and dental institutions to expel Afghan students and facilitate their return to Afghanistan. HRW described the move as the latest step in Pakistan’s wider deportation drive targeting Afghans.
HRW said the impact could be especially severe on women students because the Taliban have barred women from universities and medical training in Afghanistan. It noted that Pakistani medical institutions have also suspended new admissions of Afghan nationals.
According to HRW, Lahore’s King Edward Medical University directed 20 Afghan medical students, including four women and seven final-year students, to report within 24 hours to complete departure formalities.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has estimated that around 100 Afghan medical and dental students in Lahore could be affected, including between 20 and 40 women. Several students have approached the organisation seeking safe shelter and legal assistance amid fears of imminent deportation, HRW said.
HRW said Pakistan, as a party to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, is obligated to ensure equal access to higher education based on ability and without discrimination. It added that UN treaty-monitoring bodies have clarified that these protections extend to non-nationals irrespective of their immigration status.
The organisation also invoked the principle of non-refoulement, which prohibits forcibly returning individuals to places where they face a well-founded risk of persecution, torture or other serious harm. HRW said it had previously documented arbitrary arrests and forced returns of Afghans in Pakistan, including people who had lived there for decades.
“Pakistani authorities should withdraw the return orders, restore students’ enrollment, reverse the discriminatory admissions ban, and ensure students can remain lawfully to complete their degrees,” HRW said.
The rights group also called for individual assessments of students’ protection needs and safe shelter for those requiring it, particularly women who could face heightened risks under Taliban rule.
Last month, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ordered the suspension of medical and dental education for Afghan students in Pakistan. The order applied to both new admissions and Afghan nationals already enrolled in medical and dental colleges. It also prohibited the transfer or migration of Afghan students between medical and dental institutions in Pakistan.
FOLLOW NOW
