Archive · 23 Aug 2026
Pakistan Deportation Drive Threatens Afghan Female Students’ Careers
Afghan students in Pakistan are worried that they may be sent back to Afghanistan.
Pakistan has not been extending many Afghan students’ visas for about a year and a half.
This makes it difficult for students to stay in Pakistan legally.
Two female students from the International Islamic University Islamabad were detained.
They were already near the middle or end of their degree programs.
If they are deported, they may not be able to finish their education.
Student groups are asking Pakistani officials to review their cases.
The report says Pakistan’s deportation policy has not been reversed.
Afghan students across Pakistan remain unsure about their futures.
Pakistan has kept visa extensions for Afghan students suspended for about a year and a half.
Two female students at the International Islamic University Islamabad were detained in Wah Cantt.
Surooda Rahim and Hasina Rahim were taken to the Attock Detention Centre.
The students were in their seventh and sixth semesters and risk abandoning their degrees.
Student groups and others are urging Pakistan to stop deportations and let students complete their studies.
- Who
- Afghan students in Pakistan, including Surooda Rahim and Hasina Rahim, are affected; Pakistani authorities are carrying out the detentions and deportation process.
- What
- Afghan students face detention and deportation because visa extensions remain suspended, potentially interrupting their university education.
- When
- The report was published on August 23, 2026; visa extensions have reportedly been suspended for around a year and a half.
- Where
- The two students were detained in Wah Cantt and taken to the Attock Detention Centre; they studied at the International Islamic University Islamabad.
- Why
- Students without renewed visas risk detention or deportation amid Pakistan’s wider crackdown on Afghan nationals.
Student Advocates
Current Deportation Policy
Whether students should be removed
Student Advocates
Student groups and others want Pakistani authorities to review the students’ cases, prevent deportation, and allow them to finish their degrees.
Current Deportation Policy
The current policy continues to withhold visa extensions, leaving Afghan students without renewed visas at risk of detention or deportation; the report does not indicate that the policy will be reversed.
Impact on education
Student Advocates
Advocates say deporting students who are several semesters into their programs could force them to abandon their studies and lose years of academic work.
Current Deportation Policy
The ongoing enforcement creates uncertainty about whether Afghan students will be permitted to remain in Pakistan and complete their courses.
- Affected group
- Afghan students studying in Pakistan
- Visa status
- Visa extensions have reportedly remained suspended for around 18 months
- Detained students
- Surooda Rahim and Hasina Rahim
- University
- International Islamic University Islamabad
- Academic progress
- The students were in their seventh and sixth semesters
- Detention location
- Attock Detention Centre
- Response
- Student groups and others are calling for deportations to be stopped so students can complete their courses