KOHAT – The administrations of Bannu Medical College and Saidu Medical College Swat have ordered Afghan nationals undertaking house-job training or enrolled in medical programme at the respective institutions to discontinue their training or studies.
According to an office order issued by the Medical Superintendent (MS) of the District Headquarters Hospital (DHQ), Swat, all Afghan nationals undertaking house jobs at the Medical Teaching Institute (MTI), Swat, and DHQ Hospital, Swat, have been directed to discontinue their training, vacate their hostel accommodation immediately and leave Pakistan.
The order states: “All the Afghan Nationals carrying out House Job in Medical Teaching Institute Swat/District Headquarters Hospital Swat are directed to stop their House Job, vacate the hostel immediately and leave Pakistan.”
According to the notification, six Afghan nationals working as house officers at the hospital known as Wajidullah, Qudratullah, Bilal Ahmed, Humayun Ahmed, Mudassir and Abdullah have been directed to discontinue their house jobs, vacate their hostel accommodation and leave the country.
The notification was issued in response to a letter sent by the Dean of the Medical Teaching Institute, Swat.
Separately, the Dean of Saidu Medical College (SMC), MTI Swat issued an order related to Afghan students and medical graduates.
The quoted directive states: “ It shall be ensured that all Unregistered Afghan Students and the ones who have completed MBBS or BDS Degrees (House Jobs will not be offered or those who are still studying without fulfilling all legal formalities go back to Afghanistan by 10th October 2026. Furthermore, all Afghan Students who have not been granted admission before 1st September 2026 shall also go back by 10th October 2026 .”
In compliance with these directives, the dean directed 10 Afghan nationals enrolled in the MBBS programme at Saidu Medical College to collect their academic documents from the Students Affairs Section (SAS), leave the college and vacate their hostel accommodation immediately.
The students were identified as Fiaza and Muhammad Irshad, both in the first year; Muhammad Jameel and Azizullah, in the second year; Gul Muhammad and Obaidullah, in the third year; Muhammad Tayyab and Nazia, in the fourth year; and Muhammad Yousaf and Irfanullah, in the final year.
Meanwhile, the Dean and Chief Executive Officer of Bannu Medical College, MTI Bannu, has also terminated, with immediate effect, the house-job training of all Afghan nationals undertaking training at the institution. However, the number of affected graduates has not been disclosed.
Several doctors’ organizations, particularly the Provincial Doctors Association (PDA) and Malgari Doctors, have strongly condemned the decisions and expressed serious concern over their implications.
The organizations maintain that the measures run counter to humanitarian considerations, ethical values and professional principles. They warned that the decisions could jeopardize the future of young medical graduates and undermine years of hard work, dedication and professional training.
In a statement, Malgari Doctors Bannu strongly condemned the notifications and called for the decisions to be reconsidered. The organization urged the authorities to allow the affected Afghan graduates to complete their house-job training.
It further stressed that the matter should be reviewed in accordance with humanitarian considerations and professional ethics, keeping in view the future of young doctors who had completed their medical education under difficult circumstances.