Full practice rights to be given to IIOJ&K students pursuing medical education in Pakistan: officials

ISLAMABAD: Pakistani medical authorities have decided to grant ‘permanent/full licenses’ to medical and dental graduates from the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K), enabling them to practice in Pakistan and pursue higher medical education and employment abroad, officials announced on Monday.

“The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), in consultation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Interior, has decided to issue permanent/full PMDC licenses to medical and dental graduates from the IIOJ&K for three years,” revealed an official of the Economic Affairs Division (EAD).

“This will not only allow these graduates, who get medical and dental education at Pakistani institutions, to practice medicine and dentistry in Pakistan but also pursue higher medical education and employment opportunities abroad in Middle Eastern, European countries, and the Americas,” the EAD official added.

The decision to issue full licenses to medical graduates from the Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJ&K) was prompted by the Indian National Medical Commission (NMC) disallowing such students in April 2022 from practicing medicine or pursuing higher education in India following heightened tensions between the two states in the wake of Pulwama attack in 2019.

A ‘significant number of students’ from the IIOJ&K have been coming to Pakistan annually for medical education for several years, the official disclosed. This trend surged notably after turmoil and restrictions in the IIOJ&K affected local educational opportunities.

“Pakistani medical institutions are viewed as accessible and feasible options for students from the IIOJ&K seeking quality education. However, for the past two years, they have been denied the ability to practice medicine and pursue higher education in India, which has caused concern for these students and their families,” the official emphasised.

In India, students obtaining medical qualifications from foreign countries, including Pakistan, must undergo a recognition and registration process to practice medicine legally, the official noted. However, for the last two years, these students have been barred from appearing in the Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FGME).

Medical education in Pakistan is more affordable compared to private medical colleges in India or universities abroad, while the IIOJ&K has a limited number of medical colleges, resulting in high competition for seats.

Regarding the PMDC’s decision, the NHS official clarified that this amnesty applies solely to students from Indian-held Kashmir and should not be considered as a precedent for other foreign nationality holders.

In response to inquiries, an official from the health ministry stated that the decision was made in the national interest, given that Indian authorities allow Hindus migrating to India for medical education to practice medicine and pursue higher education in Indian educational institutions.

“On one hand, Indians disallowed their own Muslim students from Kashmir to practice medicine and pursue higher education on their soil because they received medical and dental education in Pakistan. On the other hand, they permitted Pakistani minority students to obtain medical education and practice in their country. In these circumstances, we had no choice but to grant full PMDC licenses to Kashmiri students,” the official concluded.

Officials from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) declined to comment on the decision and advised approaching the Ministry of Interior or Foreign Affairs for further details.