New Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council established

The federal government has formally given go-ahead to the new Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council (PNMC), a powerful new regulatory body tasked with overseeing nursing and midwifery education, registration, and licensing across the country.

According to official documents available with 24News and a notification issued by the Ministry of National Health Services following the order of the Prime Minister, the council has been constituted under the Pakistan Nursing and Midwifery Council Ordinance 2025 and has now become fully functional following the approval and appointment of its members under Section 4 of the ordinance.

The newly formed council will regulate the approval of nursing and midwifery institutions, oversee education standards, and manage the registration and licensing of nurses and midwives nationwide.

The notified council includes senior federal and provincial officials as ex officio members, including the Special Secretary of the Ministry of National Health Services, Director General Health, DG Quality Assurance of the Higher Education Commission, Chief Nursing Superintendent of the Armed Forces Nursing Services, and Directors General of Nursing from Punjab, Sindh, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Balochistan.

This structure places nursing and midwifery regulation directly under top-level government oversight.

In addition, the prime minister has approved nominated professional members to ensure balanced representation.

These include principals of nursing colleges from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan, a senior midwife from Balochistan, and a welfare sector representative from Karachi.

The council’s establishment comes at a critical time, as Pakistan’s nursing sector has faced growing scrutiny in recent years.

Allegations of fake and substandard nursing colleges, manipulation of inspections, and the illegal sale of registrations and licences have repeatedly surfaced, putting the future of thousands of students at risk and raising concerns over the quality of nursing care in hospitals.

Health authorities say the new council now has clear legal authority to shut down illegal institutions, cancel fraudulent registrations, and strictly enforce educational and professional standards.