The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has halted the deportation of Afghan students enrolled in medical and dental colleges across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, directing them to continue their education, reported 24NewsHD TV on Monday.
A two-member bench comprising Justice Waqar Ahmad and Justice Farah Jamshed heard writ petitions filed by 14 Afghan students, including Inayatullah Momand and Hilal Shahzad.
The court issued notices to the concerned respondents and sought their replies within 14 days, while adjourning further proceedings until October 12.
During the hearing, petitioners’ counsel Advocate Waseem-ud-Din Khattak told the court that the students had secured admission to various medical and dental colleges under the Afghan quota through the prescribed legal process.
He said the Higher Education Commission (HEC) had also issued No Objection Certificates (NOCs) to facilitate the issuance of visas to the students.
However, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) later issued notices on July 31 and September 1, cancelling the admissions of Afghan students and directing them to return to Afghanistan.
The petitioners were represented by Advocate Waseem-ud-Din Khattak, Assistant Attorney General Ishaq Khalil, and NADRA Law Officer Muhammad Mubarak Jan appeared before the court.
The PHC ordered that the Afghan students be allowed to continue their education pending further proceedings.
Reporter: Malik Rahman