The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has issued an advisory for Pakistani students pursuing medical education in Afghanistan, saying that graduates from Afghan medical institutions will not be eligible to practice medicine in Pakistan.
According to the advisory issued by PMDC, medical graduates from Afghanistan will not be able to obtain registration with the council and will not be allowed to appear in the Pakistani National Registration Examination.
PMDC said that medical institutions in Afghanistan are not included in the recognized list of the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (ECFMG). Therefore, students graduating from these institutions will not be eligible for registration or licensing to practice in Pakistan.
The council advised students to verify ECFMG recognition before seeking admission to any medical institution in Afghanistan to avoid future difficulties.
The advisory comes as a large number of Pakistani students enrolled in Afghan medical colleges have faced challenges in recent months.
Last week, 135 Pakistani medical students, mostly from the Upper and Lower Dir districts, returned to Pakistan after remaining stranded in Afghanistan for nearly nine months.
Student representatives said that more than 1,000 Pakistani students are enrolled in various medical colleges across Afghanistan, and many had planned to return home during the vacation period.
