What Is Behind Pakistan’s Ban on Afghan Medical Degrees?
News Desk
Islamabad: For hundreds of Pakistani students, studying medicine in Afghanistan once seemed like a practical path toward becoming a doctor. Lower tuition fees, geographical proximity, and relatively easy admissions made Afghan medical colleges an attractive option, particularly for students from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Today, many of those same students find themselves caught in an educational limbo after Pakistan ruled that medical and dental degrees from Afghan institutions no longer qualify graduates to seek professional registration at home.
The decision has left years of study, financial investment, and career aspirations hanging in the balance.
Dreams Interrupted
Hammad Khan, a resident of Shangla, travelled to Jalalabad in 2022 to pursue a medical degree. Like many others, he hoped to return to Pakistan as a qualified doctor.
However, within a year of beginning his studies, he learned that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had declared degrees from Afghan medical and dental institutions ineligible for registration in Pakistan because they do not meet international accreditation requirements.
Faced with an uncertain future, Hammad abandoned his studies and returned home.
Others have taken a different route.
Some students transferred to universities in Russia and Central Asia to continue their education, while many remain enrolled in Afghanistan without clarity about whether their degrees will ever be recognized.
A Policy With Far-Reaching Consequences
The uncertainty stems from a PMDC advisory stating that only graduates from medical institutions recognized by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG) are eligible to appear in Pakistan’s National Registration Examination (NRE).
Since no Afghan medical institution currently appears on the ECFMG-recognized list, graduates from those universities cannot sit the licensing examination required to practice medicine in Pakistan.
PMDC officials say the advisory is intended to protect students from investing years in qualifications that do not meet internationally accepted standards.
According to the council, students are being urged to verify the accreditation status of foreign institutions before seeking admission, as no exemptions will be granted for degrees obtained from unrecognized universities.
Students Left in Limbo
For affected students, however, the policy has created significant uncertainty.
Some enrolled in Afghan universities when those institutions were still considered acceptable under previous arrangements. Others say they were unaware that recognition standards could change during the course of their studies.
Several students have reportedly shifted to universities in countries such as Russia, while others have completed their degrees only to discover they cannot obtain registration in Pakistan.
Without professional recognition, graduates are unable to undertake house jobs, sit licensing examinations, or legally practice medicine in the country.
Many now face the difficult choice of pursuing further education elsewhere or seeking employment outside the medical profession.
Why Afghanistan Became a Popular Destination
For years, Afghanistan attracted Pakistani medical students, particularly from border regions.
The country’s proximity, lower educational costs, and comparatively accessible admission process made it an alternative for students unable to secure seats in Pakistan’s highly competitive medical colleges.
Families often viewed studying across the border as a realistic investment in their children’s future.
The latest regulatory changes have challenged those expectations, leaving many questioning whether they will ever be able to recover the time and resources already invested.
Questions Over Student Numbers
The exact number of Pakistani students studying medicine in Afghanistan remains unclear.
PMDC officials acknowledge that official records likely underestimate the actual figure because many students do not register with the council before enrolling abroad.
As a result, authorities have no comprehensive data on how many students may ultimately be affected by the recognition issue.
The Importance of Accreditation
Medical regulators argue that accreditation is essential to maintaining professional standards and ensuring patient safety.
Recognition through internationally accepted frameworks allows graduates to pursue licensing, postgraduate education, and employment in multiple countries.
Officials caution that students should thoroughly verify whether a foreign medical institution meets recognized accreditation standards before enrolling, regardless of the country.
A Generation Seeking Answers
For many Pakistani students, the issue is no longer simply about academic recognition—it is about the future they envisioned.
Some have transferred abroad at considerable financial cost. Others remain uncertain whether to continue their education or start over elsewhere. Many families who invested their savings now face difficult decisions about what comes next.
As Pakistan continues to align medical education with international accreditation requirements, the experiences of students caught between changing regulations and long-term educational commitments underscore the need for clearer guidance, timely communication, and stronger oversight to help prospective students make informed choices before studying overseas. The report was publish on Urdu News website and it is translated version of the feature repot.
