Pakistani students graduating from medical and dental colleges in Afghanistan will no longer be eligible to sit the National Registration Examination (NRE) under a decision by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC).
The development could have major consequences for Pakistani students pursuing medical and dental education in Afghanistan because the NRE is required for registration as a doctor or dentist in Pakistan.
According to the council’s position cited in the supplied information, medical institutions in Afghanistan are not recognized under the international ECFMG accreditation framework.
As a result, graduates from those institutions cannot be issued licences to practise in Pakistan, according to the source.
Why the NRE Matters
The National Registration Examination is an important requirement for graduates covered by the examination rules who want professional registration in Pakistan.
The latest decision therefore goes beyond an examination issue for the affected students. Without eligibility to take the required registration examination, graduates from the institutions covered by the decision face a barrier to obtaining a licence to practise medicine or dentistry in Pakistan.
Pakistani Students Could Be Affected
The decision is expected to affect thousands of Pakistani students currently studying medicine and dentistry in Afghanistan.
A particularly important question concerns students who enrolled before the latest decision.
Some affected students have raised objections, arguing that applying the restriction to people who were already studying in Afghanistan would be unfair.
The source, however, does not provide details of any transitional arrangement or exemption for existing students.
Accreditation at Centre of PM&DC Decision
The council has linked its position to international accreditation requirements.
According to the supplied information, Afghan medical institutions are not recognized under the ECFMG accreditation framework cited by PM&DC. This accreditation issue forms the basis of the restriction on NRE eligibility and subsequent professional licensing.
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For prospective Pakistani medical students, the development also highlights the importance of checking whether a foreign institution meets PM&DC’s recognition and registration requirements .
