The Lahore High Court has suspended the PMDC notification ordering Afghan medical students studying in Pakistan to return to Afghanistan a ruling that came down on September 11, 2026, the same day this article was published. Justice Khalid Ishaq passed the order while hearing petitions filed by 13 Afghan students enrolled at medical institutions in Lahore. The court also specifically ordered that the affected students be allowed to continue their studies, sit their upcoming examinations, and return to their hostels.
Background What Led to the PMDC Directive?
Who Is PMDC and What Does It Do?
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) is Pakistan’s statutory regulatory authority for medical and dental education. Headquartered in the Mauve Area, Islamabad, it sets minimum standards for medical qualifications, maintains the official register of medical practitioners, and regulates medical college admissions across the country.
LHC Suspends PMDC Notification What Happened in Court
13 Students File Petitions
On September 10, 2026, 13 Afghan medical students filed multiple petitions before the Lahore High Court, challenging both the July 31 and September 1 PMDC directives. The petitioners were enrolled at three Lahore-based institutions: KEMU, Shaikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan Medical and Dental College, and the Services Institute of Medical Sciences.
Their legal argument had two central planks. First, that the PMDC had exceeded its authority under the PMDC Act 2023 that the council, despite being the top medical regulatory body, has no legal power to expel enrolled students. Second, that the directives were discriminatory, with one petition specifically noting the discriminatory impact on female Afghan students.
PMDC Claims National Security
At the hearing on September 11, the PMDC’s counsel argued that the court should not interfere because the matter involved national security. The argument was that the Afghan student repatriation was linked to Pakistan’s broader policy position on Afghan nationals amid bilateral tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.
Justice Khalid Ishaq rejected the national security argument outright and suspended the operation of both PMDC directives the July 31 and September 1 notifications. The court then issued notice to all respondents, with replies required at the next hearing.
What the Court Order Means for Students
The suspension means that Afghan medical students currently in Pakistan:
- Can continue attending their studies as enrolled students
- Can sit their upcoming examinations, including those scheduled for the current academic session
- Can return to their hostels where they had been asked to vacate
- Cannot be removed by their institutions pending the next court hearing
Rights Groups Condemn PMDC New Policy 2026
The PMDC new policy 2026 on Afghan students drew strong condemnation from human rights organizations and opposition political parties from the moment it was announced.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) described the directive as creating “a humanitarian crisis affecting young people whose education, safety and futures are at immediate risk.” The HRCP specifically called for the repatriation orders to be suspended and for affected students’ enrollment to be restored.
Opposition parties and civil society groups made similar arguments, centering on a basic point: students who enrolled legally, paid their fees, and committed to years of medical training should not be penalized for a diplomatic dispute between governments that they have no role in. Forcing a final-year student out weeks before qualifying examinations is a particularly hard case to defend on any humanitarian basis.
PMDC Rules and Regulations 2026 What Else Has Changed
PMDC Login and Official Website Services
Citizens and medical professionals can access PMDC’s services through the PMDC official website at pmdc.pk. The PMDC login portal allows registered practitioners and students to access their license information, registration status, and official notifications.
The website publishes all official PMDC notifications including public announcements on admissions, examination procedures, and regulatory updates.
PMDC Directives 2022 Historical Context
How PMDC Got Its Current Structure
Understanding the PMDC directives 2022 context requires knowing that the council’s very existence was legally contested for years.In 2019, then-President Arif Alvi passed an ordinance creating the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) as a replacement for the PM&DC. The new body became associated with allegations of corruption and governance failures, particularly around the MDCAT examination process.In 2022, the Islamabad High Court restored the PM&DC and declared the Pakistan Medical Commission unconstitutional, ruling that creating PMC through a presidential ordinance bypassed proper legislative procedure. The council was reconstituted under the PMDC Act 2023, giving it a fresh legal mandate.The Afghan student controversy is partly significant because this is one of the first major legal challenges to the reconstituted council’s authority and the court’s initial response was to reject its most aggressive directive.
What Happens Next
The LHC suspension is a temporary stay, not a final ruling. When the court reconvenes:
- All respondents including PMDC, KEMU, and relevant government ministries must file replies
- The court will examine whether PMDC’s authority under the PMDC Act 2023 extends to mandating the expulsion of enrolled foreign students
- The national security argument, rejected at the preliminary hearing, may be reargued with additional supporting evidence
- A final ruling could set a binding precedent on how far PMDC’s regulatory authority extends over foreign students
Meanwhile, the broader Pakistan-Afghanistan relationship and the government’s repatriation policy for Afghan nationals will continue to shape the political environment around this legal case.
Conclusion
The Lahore High Court’s suspension of the PMDC notification 2026 requiring Afghan medical students to leave Pakistan marks a significant check on the council’s authority. The court’s rejection of the national security argument, even at the preliminary stage, signals that sweeping directives affecting students’ fundamental right to complete their education will face serious judicial scrutiny.
Whether the full bench ultimately rules the directives illegal or upholds them on national policy grounds will be one of the more consequential PMDC news today developments to watch in the weeks ahead. In the meantime, Afghan medical students across Lahore’s institutions can return to their classrooms at least until the next hearing.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the PMDC new policy 2026?
The PMDC new policy 2026 that triggered the current controversy was issued in two parts July 31 and September 1 and directed medical and dental colleges across Pakistan to stop admitting, placing, or facilitating Afghan nationals during the current academic session. It also required Afghan students already enrolled in medical and dental programmes to return to Afghanistan. The policy appears to be connected to Pakistan’s broader position on Afghan nationals following deteriorating bilateral relations with the Taliban-led government in Kabul.
Who is the CEO of PMDC?
This depends on which PMDC is being referenced, as two different Pakistani institutions share this abbreviation. The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) the medical regulatory body that issued the Afghan student directives is headed by President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj, not a CEO. The PMDC operates under a President-led council structure under the PMDC Act 2023. The other PMDC the Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation, a state-owned mining enterprise under the Petroleum Division is a completely separate body that has its own Managing Director and CEO.
What are the rules for house jobs under PM&DC?
Under PMDC rules and regulations 2026, a Provisional PMDC License is mandatory for enrollment in any house job programme at Pakistani hospitals. This requirement applies to all MBBS and BDS graduates. To obtain the provisional license, graduates must log in through the PMDC official website (pmdc.pk) using the PMDC login portal, submit their graduation documents, and complete the registration process. The house job itself is typically a one-year period of supervised clinical work required before a graduate can apply for a full PMDC license and practice medicine independently. PMDC updated this requirement formally in public notices issued in January 2025 and again in April 2026.
