Nooria, which is not her real name, still remembers one of the moments that made her want to be a doctor.
It was back home in a village in Afghanistan, where she was born. A 13-year-old boy there became sick and died because of appendicitis.
“He was completely healthy, but the road was blocked and he died on the way. There are multiple incidents just like this.”
“That and the potential I saw in myself, I thought I can be a doctor for them, I can help.”
She fears that dream could now be over and that she could be sent back to Afghanistan. That would be the end of any chance at a career for Nooria who, as a woman, is barred from studying or working by Afghanistan’s Taliban government.
Earlier this month, Pakistan’s Medical and Dental Council – the medical education regulator – issued a letter to all medical and dental colleges across the country saying that students from Afghanistan studying in their colleges must return to their home country. Failure to follow the directive, it said, would be “viewed seriously” and may lead to regulatory action. A temporary stay order from the Lahore High Court stopped students in Punjab, such as Nooria, from being deported immediately until the next hearing, scheduled for Friday. There is no certainty that the stay will continue.
Since 2023, hundreds of thousands of Afghans have been deported from Pakistan and over two million have left according to the UN. These numbers increased as the relationship between Pakistan and Afghanistan dramatically deteriorated in the last year. Pakistan has accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of harbouring militant groups, which it denies.
The announcement from the medical council was met with a strong reaction. Amnesty International called the decision “patently discriminatory and arbitrary” and said that “Pakistan has obligations under international human rights law to uphold the right to education without discrimination on the basis of national origin.” Several of Pakistan’s former envoys to Afghanistan also urged the council to reconsider; one called it “shocking” and “a question of humanity, compassion and Pakistan’s own moral responsibility”.
The council told the BBC that they can give no further comment while the court case continues, but their lawyer has told the BBC that none of the Afghan students were registered with PMDC. The students say that this is the responsibility of their colleges, not them; a notification issued by the PMDC earlier this year, external directs colleges to ensure that students are registered.
