PMDC says no nationality-based ban on medical education, defends Afghan students review

• 176 Afghan students’ verification process still underway.
• Unregistered students can’t be treated as lawfully enrolled: PM&DC.
• Affected students being facilitated in humane manner: council.

ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) clarified on Thursday that there was no nationality-based prohibition on medical education in Pakistan, saying its ongoing review of Afghan medical students was a matter of regulatory compliance and documentation rather than discrimination against any particular nationality.

In a statement, the PM&DC said Pakistan continued to welcome foreign nationals seeking medical and dental education in the country in accordance with its regulatory framework and applicable government policies, adding that foreign students who fulfilled the prescribed academic, registration, documentation and immigration requirements were facilitated through the established system.

The council said a verification and regulatory review of Afghan medical students had established that more than 200 were studying medicine in Pakistan, whereas only 22 were presently registered with PM&DC.

“Of these, 14 had completed their degree programmes while eight were expected to graduate next year,” it said. The council noted, however, that completion of a medical degree did not by itself confer a right to remain in Pakistan for employment or medical practice, and that those intending to practice in Pakistan must fulfil applicable licensing and registration requirements.

The verification process concerning the remaining 176 students was still underway and the figure was therefore subject to final confirmation, the council said.

PM&DC said students who were not registered with it and did not possess the requisite permission under the applicable framework could not be treated as lawfully enrolled foreign medical students within Pakistan’s regulated medical education system, adding that its actions were based on documented status, applicable rules and directions of the competent authorities.

“It is important to clarify that there is no nationality-based prohibition on medical education in Pakistan,” the statement said. “The issue is one of compliance with the applicable regulatory, documentation and immigration requirements.”

The council said no foreign national could lawfully pursue medical education in Pakistan outside the prescribed regulatory framework, nor could any foreign national remain in Pakistan without valid immigration status.

PM&DC said it recognised the importance of treating students with dignity and ensuring that the process was handled in an orderly and humane manner, adding that students affected by the current decision were being facilitated in completing necessary formalities and making arrangements for their return in accordance with applicable government policy.

The council reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to its longstanding tradition of educational cooperation and hospitality, saying foreign students who met the prescribed requirements remained welcome in PM&DC-recognised medical and dental institutions.

It said it would continue to facilitate legitimate foreign medical education while ensuring that regulatory standards, legal requirements and patient safety were not compromised.