PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court has issued a significant ruling in favor of Pakistani students who obtained medical degrees from Afghan institutions, declaring the de-listing of Afghan medical universities as unlawful. The decision is being widely viewed as an important development in both legal and academic circles.
The court approved the petitions filed by 22 affected medical graduates and granted them permission to appear in the National Registration Examination (NRE), a mandatory requirement for practicing medicine in Pakistan.
The ruling also directed the relevant authorities to issue Provisional Registration (PRMP) certificates to these students, enabling them to complete their house job training without disruption.
In this regard, the court stated that the notification issued by authorities regarding the de-listing of Afghan universities did not meet the required legal standards. It focused on that administrative decisions must adhere to established legal principles and cannot be enforced retrospectively.
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council had issued a notification on September 8, 2025, removing several Afghan medical universities from its recognized list. The petitioners argued that this decision was applied retrospectively, affecting students who had already completed their degrees before the de-listing.
The court agreed with the petitioners, observing that the students had graduated at a time when their institutions were still recognized. Therefore, their qualifications could not be invalidated after the fact.
The judgment clearly stated that executive actions cannot be backdated to deprive individuals of their legitimate rights.
Furthermore, the court mentioned that the PMDC is legally bound to conduct licensing examinations twice a year for Pakistani graduates from foreign institutions. It stressed the importance of providing fair and equal opportunities to all students seeking to enter the medical profession.
