Punjab – (Staff Reporter/Web Desk) – The Afghan students expelled Punjab case took a new turn on Friday when the Lahore High Court stepped in to stop the removals.
Justice Khalid Ishaq heard pleas from over 30 Afghan students who were facing expulsion from medical colleges across the province.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s lawyer told the court that these students lacked proper documents. He said no one can legally stay in a country without a valid visa, comparing the situation to rules followed in the United States.
But the judge had tough questions of his own. He asked how these students got admission and education visas in the first place if their papers were not in order.
He also pointed out something important. These students had already spent four years studying medicine. Sending them home now, without even hearing their side, did not seem fair to him.
The council’s lawyer then raised a security angle, saying the matter touched on state security. Justice Ishaq did not accept this. He said there was simply no security threat in this case.
Still, the judge made it clear that once these students finish their degrees, they may be asked to leave. For now, though, no college can expel them or hold back their exam results.
The case will return to court next Friday for further hearing.
This ruling comes just a day after PM&DC issued its own clarification. The council said there was no ban based on nationality. It called the ongoing review a matter of paperwork and rules, not discrimination.
According to PM&DC, more than 200 Afghan students are currently studying medicine in Pakistan. Yet only 22 of them are registered with the council. Of these, 14 have already completed their degrees, while eight are set to graduate next year.
The council added that finishing a medical degree does not automatically allow someone to work or practice in Pakistan. Anyone hoping to do so must still meet licensing rules.
Checks on the remaining 176 students are still ongoing, and the final numbers may change.
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