Islamic Emirate spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid has described Pakistan’s decision to expel Afghan medical and dental students as “inhumane” and “regrettable,” urging Islamabad to reconsider the move.

Speaking at a government press conference in Kabul, Mujahid called on Pakistan to allow Afghan students to remain in the country and complete their studies.

He said Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education is also prepared to accommodate students forced to leave Pakistan and enrol them in medical and dental institutions inside Afghanistan.

The comments follow a September 1 directive from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) ordering Afghan nationals already enrolled in medical and dental programmes to return to Afghanistan. Pakistani institutions were also instructed to complete the necessary administrative procedures and facilitate the students’ departure.

The PMDC further barred new admissions, transfers, migrations and other educational facilities for Afghan nationals during the current academic year and until further notice.

The council has not disclosed how many Afghan students are currently studying medicine and dentistry in Pakistan. It also remains unclear whether students nearing graduation will be exempt from the directive.

The decision comes amid worsening relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan, with Islamabad continuing efforts to return Afghan nationals from the country.

Meanwhile, Afghanistan’s Ministry of Higher Education has assured Afghan students and professors currently studying or working at universities abroad, and facing forced return, that necessary facilities will be provided for them to continue their education and academic activities inside the country.

In a statement, the ministry said students would be given opportunities to continue their studies in Afghanistan, while professors would be provided with opportunities to continue their professional and academic work.

The ministry also pledged to address the challenges faced by Afghan students and provide the necessary arrangements to enable them to pursue their education within Afghanistan.

The announcement comes as some Afghan students and academics abroad face the prospect of returning to the country amid changing immigration and residency policies in host countries.

Jan Egeland, Secretary-General of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC), says many Afghan families returning from Pakistan have arrived in Afghanistan with almost no belongings, while cuts in humanitarian assistance are severely limiting aid operations.

Egeland made the remarks following a recent visit to Afghanistan, where he met with several families who had returned from Pakistan.

In a post on X, Egeland said many of the returnees had come back to Afghanistan with virtually nothing.

He said he also met mothers who were struggling to meet their children’s basic needs and who were seeking opportunities for their daughters to receive an education.

The NRC chief expressed concern over declining humanitarian assistance and a shortage of funding for the organization’s operations in Afghanistan.

According to Egeland, despite the scale of humanitarian needs across the country, the Norwegian Refugee Council’s humanitarian operations have been severely restricted due to a lack of financial resources.

The warning comes as humanitarian organizations continue to face growing pressure to support vulnerable Afghan families amid limited funding and increasing needs.

Severe cuts in international humanitarian funding have forced around 600 health facilities across Afghanistan to close or reduce services, affecting access to healthcare for about four million people, including two million children, according to Save the Children.

The closures have particularly affected remote and underserved communities, where alternative health facilities can be difficult to reach. UNICEF has also warned that funding shortages have forced some health and nutrition centres to scale back or shut down.

The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that at least 422 primary healthcare facilities, including mobile health and nutrition teams, closed in 2025 following the suspension of US funding and reductions from other donors. The closures reduced access to healthcare for an estimated 3.3 million Afghans and disrupted services including maternal healthcare and family planning.

Afghanistan’s health system remains heavily dependent on international funding. WHO estimates that 14.4 million people will need health assistance in 2026, amid poverty, displacement, disease outbreaks, food insecurity and climate-related disasters.

The funding crisis has also heightened concerns over child malnutrition. Save the Children estimates that nearly four million Afghan children are acutely malnourished, while reduced health and nutrition services are making it harder for vulnerable children to receive timely treatment.

The return of millions of Afghans from Pakistan and Iran has added further pressure, particularly in border areas. WHO has warned that large-scale returns are increasing demand for medical services and overwhelming some health facilities.

Humanitarian agencies are calling for urgent and flexible funding to maintain and restore essential health services, warning that further cuts could lead to additional closures and leave vulnerable Afghans with fewer options for basic healthcare.