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LAHORE — The Lahore High Court (LHC) has stepped in to stop the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) from sending Afghan medical students back to Afghanistan.
​Justice Khalid Ishaq gave the order on Friday after 13 Afghan students from different medical colleges in Lahore went to court. The court said the students can go back to their hostel rooms, attend classes, and take their medical exams while the case is being decided.
Why the Students Went to Court
​In July and September, the PMDC issued notices telling medical and dental colleges to send all enrolled Afghan students back to Afghanistan. The PMDC also banned colleges from giving any new admissions or seats to students from Afghanistan for this academic year.
​After these notices came out, colleges like King Edward Medical University asked Afghan students to clear their rooms and leave within 24 hours. Many of these students were close to finishing their medical degrees.
​The lawyer for the students, Asad Jamal, told the judge that the PMDC overstepped its authority and acted unfairly. He pointed out that the students were never given a chance to explain their position before being ordered to leave.
​What the Court Said
​The PMDC’s lawyer argued that the government made the decision due to national security.
​However, Justice Ishaq rejected this argument. He questioned how the regulatory body could suddenly tell students to pack up and leave when they had been studying legally in Pakistan for years.
​The judge ordered that no student should be stopped from studying or taking exams. The court has now asked the PMDC, the Health Ministry, and medical college heads to submit their official answers before the next hearing on September 18.
