Afghanistan Peace Campaign
A court in Pakistan’s Balochistan province has granted 16 Afghan medical students temporary permission to continue their education and remain in university accommodation until November 24, following a dispute over their visa extensions.
The Balochistan High Court issued the interim order on Sunday, November 8, allowing the students at Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences in Quetta to return to their classrooms and hostels. The court is scheduled to hear the case again on November 24.
Syed Nazir Agha, the lawyer representing the students, welcomed the decision and called on Pakistani authorities to extend their visas. Agha said the students had completed between one and three years of medical education but had not received extensions to their visas. He added that he had submitted their admission documents, visas and academic records to the court.
The temporary protection follows an October 14 order requiring the 16 students to leave the university and their hostels. The latest ruling allows them to resume their studies and accommodation, but does not resolve their immigration status or guarantee permission to complete their degrees.
Afghan student Imran Khan stated that the visa issue remained unresolved despite the court’s intervention. He said students feared missing upcoming examinations if authorities did not address their applications before the examination period.
According to Khan, examinations for first- and second-year students could begin in February, while fourth-year examinations are also approaching. He warned that the university could prevent students from sitting their examinations if their visa situation remained unresolved.
Khan said all 16 students had entered Pakistan with Afghanistan passports and student visas. They had applied for visa extensions but had not received responses, he added.
The case is part of a wider dispute over Afghan medical students enrolled in Pakistani institutions. On September 1, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) directed medical and dental colleges to stop admitting Afghan students for the current academic session. It also instructed institutions to facilitate the return of Afghan students already enrolled in medical and dental programmes.
However, Pakistan’s Foreign Office said students enrolled in recognised degree programmes with valid visas could remain and complete their education. The statement has added to uncertainty over how the PMDC directive applies to students whose visa extensions remain pending.