Pakistan Detains Afghan Doctor, 10 Medical Students

DID Press: Police in Pakistan’s Punjab province have detained an Afghan doctor and at least 10 Afghan medical students who were studying and completing specialist training at educational and medical institutions, according to reports.

Sources said the arrests were linked to the expiration of the individuals’ visas. Among those detained were 10 students undergoing medical specialization programs at Quaid-i-Azam University and Bahawalpur Teaching Hospital. An Afghan doctor named Noorullah was also reportedly detained from Sahiwal Teaching Hospital.

Pakistani authorities have not yet issued an official statement regarding the arrests. However, informed sources said the individuals were detained over visa-related issues, with the Afghan doctor reportedly taken into custody while he was present in an operating room.

The detained students said they had entered Pakistan legally through Punjab’s medical residency program and had submitted the required documents for visa extensions, but their applications had not been processed.

The arrests come after Pakistan’s Interior Ministry previously instructed provincial authorities to begin detaining Afghan nationals without valid residency documents or expired visas from July 10.

Afghan medical students have called for the issue to be resolved through dialogue between Taliban authorities and Pakistan, saying delays in visa renewals have continued for around six months and could disrupt their specialist training.