The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has issued a warning to Pakistani students pursuing medical and dental education in Afghanistan, stating that graduates from Afghan institutions will not be eligible to practice in Pakistan.
According to the council’s latest advisory, medical and dental degrees obtained from institutions in Afghanistan will not qualify graduates for registration with the PMDC, effectively preventing them from obtaining the professional licence required to work in Pakistan.
The PMDC said Afghan medical institutions are currently not included among the foreign institutions recognized under the relevant accreditation requirements. Consequently, graduates from these institutions would not be eligible to proceed through Pakistan’s National Registration Examination (NRE), which is a mandatory requirement for foreign medical graduates seeking registration.
The warning is particularly significant for Pakistani students who have already enrolled in medical or dental programmes in Afghanistan. The council has advised students planning to study medicine abroad to verify the recognition status of their chosen institution before admission.
PMDC’s position comes as Pakistan continues to tighten oversight of foreign medical qualifications, with patient safety and educational standards among the key considerations in its registration framework. In a previous clarification, the council said foreign medical graduates are required to meet the applicable legal and examination requirements before receiving registration.
The decision could leave students currently studying in Afghanistan facing uncertainty over their future professional careers in Pakistan. Families who have invested significant amounts in overseas medical education may also need to reconsider their options.
PMDC has effectively urged prospective students to check recognition and eligibility requirements before enrolling in any foreign medical institution, warning that choosing an unrecognized university could result in a degree that cannot lead to medical practice in Pakistan.
