Archive · 10 Sep 2026
Pakistan Restricts Afghan Medical Students Amid Worsening Kabul Ties
Pakistan has reportedly told medical and dental schools not to accept new Afghan students.
The order may also affect Afghan students who are already studying in Pakistan.
Some students could be close to finishing their degrees.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said students with valid documents can still request visa extensions.
This means the policy may depend on whether each student has the required passport and visa.
King Edward Medical University said it has 22 Afghan students and gave them 24 hours to complete paperwork.
Pakistan says its concerns are connected to undocumented foreigners and security tensions.
Afghanistan’s Taliban administration denies Pakistan’s accusations about militant activity from Afghan territory.
Pakistan’s medical and dental institutions have reportedly been ordered to stop admitting Afghan students during the current academic session.
The reported directive also tells already-enrolled Afghan students to return to Afghanistan, potentially affecting hundreds, including students nearing graduation.
Pakistan’s Foreign Office said Afghan students with valid passports and residency documents may still apply for visa extensions under existing rules.
King Edward Medical University said 22 Afghan students there were given 24 hours to complete legal and administrative formalities.
The move comes amid disputes over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan activity in Afghanistan, allegations Kabul’s Taliban administration denies.
- Who
- Pakistan’s medical and dental institutions, Afghan students, Pakistan’s Foreign Office, and Afghanistan’s Taliban administration.
- What
- Pakistan reportedly ordered institutions to stop admitting Afghan students and remove or return those already enrolled, while officials said students with valid documents can seek visa extensions.
- When
- The reported order was issued during the current academic session; the articles also reference later implementation deadlines and earlier deportation measures without providing a consistent year.
- Where
- Medical and dental institutions across Pakistan, including King Edward Medical University in Lahore, involving students from Afghanistan.
- Why
- The measure comes amid deteriorating Pakistan-Afghanistan relations, disputes over undocumented Afghan nationals, and Pakistan’s allegations that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operates from Afghanistan—claims Kabul denies.
Pakistan’s Enforcement Position
Afghan Students’ and Kabul’s Position
Medical enrollment and visas
Pakistan’s Enforcement Position
Pakistan has reportedly restricted new admissions and instructed enrolled Afghan students to return, while officials emphasize that people without valid passports and visas may face deportation.
Afghan Students’ and Kabul’s Position
The Foreign Office’s stated policy allows Afghan students with valid documents to apply for visa extensions, creating a distinction between undocumented and legally resident students.
Security allegations
Pakistan’s Enforcement Position
Pakistan says its action comes amid concerns that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operates from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan.
Afghan Students’ and Kabul’s Position
Kabul’s Taliban administration denies the allegation that the banned group operates from sanctuaries in Afghanistan.
- Affected students
- Potentially hundreds of Afghan medical and dental students, including some nearing completion of their courses.
- Admissions policy
- The reported directive bars institutions from admitting or placing Afghan students during the current academic session.
- Visa qualification
- The Foreign Office said Afghan students with valid passports and residency documents may apply for visa extensions under existing rules.
- University action
- King Edward Medical University said 22 Afghan students were given 24 hours to complete legal and administrative formalities.
- Legal framework
- Under Pakistan’s Illegal Foreigner Repatriation Plan, foreign nationals without valid passports and visas may be considered illegally present and face deportation.
- Security dispute
- Pakistan alleges that Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan operates from sanctuaries inside Afghanistan; Kabul’s Taliban administration denies the allegation.
- Prior deportation drive
- Pakistan began a major campaign against undocumented foreigners in 2023 and later intensified measures affecting Afghan residence permits and visa compliance.