Balochistan High Court Rejects Plea of Afghan! Medical Students Seeking to Continue Education in Pakistan

Quetta (Syed Sardar Mohammad Khondai)

Quetta: The Balochistan High Court has dismissed a petition filed by Afghan nationals seeking to continue their medical and dental education in Pakistan.

A division bench comprising Justice Muhammad Amir Nawaz Rana and Justice Abdul Qayyum Lehri, while delivering the verdict, termed the plea for judicial intervention in government policies regarding foreign students as inadmissible.

In its judgment, the court held that foreign nationals have no absolute or permanent right to reside, study, or receive professional training in Pakistan, especially when it is against state policy.

The verdict further stated that all fundamental executive decisions relating to immigration control, repatriation of foreigners, and national security fall purely within the executive authority of the government.

On this basis, the court refused to interfere with state directives regarding the admission, transfer, or facilitation of Afghan nationals in medical institutions.

In their remarks, the judges said that although humanitarian aspects are important, mere humanitarian grounds do not create a legal right to permanent residence or educational admission for non-citizens.

The High Court clarified that foreign nationals must always be treated with human dignity, justice, and in accordance with the law, however, the judiciary cannot annul government orders related to foreign policy.

In the end, the bench advised the affected students to contact the Embassy of Afghanistan for redressal of their grievances.