250+ FMGs Who Studied in Pakistan awaiting Security Clearance

Any degrees including MBBS, BDS, engineering, or others, will not be considered if the students joined the courses after 2018, as per two separate orders in 2022.

Medical Dialogues had earlier reported that back in 2022, the National Medical Commission (NMC) had issued a warning to medical and dental aspirants against taking admission to MBBS/BDS courses in Pakistan. Issuing a public notice on April 28, 2022, NMC mentioned that MBBS/BDS graduates from Pakistan would not be eligible to appear in the FMGE screening test and practice in India.

Also Read: MBBS, BDS degrees from Pakistan Not Valid: NMC, DCI

"All concerned are advised not to travel to Pakistan for pursuing Medical Education. Any Indian national/Overseas Citizen of India who intends to take admission in MBBS/BDS or equivalent medical course in any medical college of Pakistan shall not be eligible for appearing in FMGE or seeking employment in India on the basis of educational qualifications (in any subject) acquired in Pakistan except those who had joined Pakistan degree colleges/institutions before December 2018 or later after obtaining Security Clearance from MHS till date," NMC had mentioned in the notice. Back then, a similar warning had been issued by the Dental Council of India (DCI) also.

As per the latest media report by The Hindu, as per a parent-body estimate, around 3,500 students from Kashmir were studying in Pakistan when COVID-19 hit. Among these 3500 students, around 700 students were pursuing MBBS degrees and many of such students who had been admitted between 2019-2022, were left with only option, leaving Pakistan and forfeiting the fee paid.

For those, who had joined these courses before the cut-off period, the Ministry of External Affairs and the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) are carrying out intensive background checks for a long time.

One of the students, who joined a medical college in Pakistan's Hyderabad in 2016 and returned in 2022 told The Hindu, on the condition of anonymity, that despite being from a batch before the cut-off period, she was facing problems in fulfilling her dreams of serving as a registered doctor.

"I have lost count of the number of appearances I have made before the local police station and the office of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID), in Srinagar, since 2022. I have already made statements and answered questions in writing, around fees, expenses, and relations," said the student.

Further mentioning that they have responded to Special Security Questionnaires (SSQ) as well, she added, "If any student has indulged in illegal activities, take action as per law. But it looks like a collective punishment for daring to dream of becoming a doctor."

"Every time I see the stethoscope, which I bought full of dreams, I get anxious and angry. I hope this ends soon," she added.

Several students informed that many of the students had to leave social obligations like weddings and funerals to respond to immediate appearances before the police officials.

Another student from Srinagar, who completed her MBBS from a medical college based in Pakistan's Punjab, informed the Daily that she appeared for the medical entrance exam in India in 2015-2016, but could not qualify for a government college. She had three options including private medical colleges in India or go for options in Bangladesh and Pakistan.

Explaining the reason why she chose the college in Pakistan, she added, "No good private college in India charges less than ₹80 lakh to ₹1 crore for admission. In Bangladesh, we were worried about the language barrier and also the tuition fee was at least ₹40 lakh." Further, Pakistan was accessible also in terms of the fee and proximity to home.

Commenting on the matter, a student from Christian Missionary school pointed out that an MBBS degree does not cost more than Rs 20 lakh or less in Pakistan, if the students quality for scholarships. Therefore, based on merit and pre-qualifying tests, several students secured admission in the top medical colleges in Pakistan including King Edward Medical University, Fatima Jinnah Medical University, and Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences, all in Lahore, among others.

"Pursuing the MBBS course as a student was as tough as anywhere in the world. I would study 10-14 hours a day. I belong to a family of doctors. I was under pressure to prove my worth," said a student, further adding that she was working so hard and she could not meet her grandmother who died after being infected with COVID-19 in 2020.

"My mother also battled COVID on a ventilator all alone. We made a lot of sacrifices for this degree. Temperatures would rise to 43 to 44 degrees (Celsius) in summer. It was unbearable, but we braved it all for this course. Now, we are not sure if we are doctors or not," added the student, who studied in Singh Medical College.

One of the students secured admission in Pakistan in 2018. However, after returning during the COVID lockdown period, he could not make it back to Pakistan. "I couldn’t join college due to travel restrictions and the ban imposed by the NMC. I decided to shift to a college in Europe. Many others either returned to J&K or secured admissions in Central Asian colleges," added the student.

The Hindu has reported how after the freeze in Indo-Pak relations in 2019, after the Pulwama attack, many students flew from Kashmir to Dubai and thereafter to Pakistan to pursue their courses. Immigration stopped them when they came back to India and a few students claimed that their passports were "impounded" for using the Dubai route.

Despite all such hurdles, some of the students have refused to give up. One such student maintains patients' files at a small clinic in Srinagar. Even though she is still not allowed from wearing an apron or practising medicine at the medical facility, she informed, "I do small jobs at the clinic. However, I visit different hospitals to observe what medicines are prescribed, so that I stay in touch with the profession. This way, I keep my hopes alive to be able to wear the white coat again, once the security clearance comes."

However, this is a rare instance as many students in their late 20s have given up and moved on. Instead of pursuing the go-ahead from the Government to appear in the qualifying exam, they are working at shops or running their own business.

Meanwhile, the pending issue of security clearance has impacted their personal lives as well. Narrating how her engagement broke because of this, a student said, "No one wants to be associated with me. I was shooed away by a prospective groom’s parents. They said they didn’t want any trouble. Spiteful relatives remark on our situation too. It’s a living hell. There is not a single instance where a girl student was engaged in any illegal activity. I urge the government to speed up the security clearance process."

Hindu has reported that India and Pakistan had agreed to allow the students from J&K to attend colleges in Pakistan in 2002 when Pervaiz Musharraf was President. Many students had even opened for medical colleges in Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (PoK). However, back in 2017, such degrees were declared invalid because of India's position that PoK was not a part of Pakistan.

Background checks were initiated by security agencies after allegations that over the past decade, around 17 local youths had been recruited by militants after acquiring travel documents as students.

Many medical colleges in Pakistan had registered wards of separatists and slain militants as well. As per a charge sheet filed by National Investigation Agency (NIA) in 2024 in Srinagar, the money for admissions "was passed on to terrorist(s), stone pelters and overground workers for unlawful and terrorist activities".

During the investigations, it came to light that the admissions to MBBS and other professional courses in Pakistan were "preferentially given to those students who were close family members or relatives of killed terrorists on the recommendations of members of Hurriyat and received by their counterparts in Pakistan".

"This was to boost morale and keep the pot of terror boiling in the Valley and infuse new spirit into the terror fold," it added.

The NIA is also probing the Kashmir-based consultancies as well. They claimed that such consultancies "motivated gullible parents" aspiring for their children to study professional courses through these consultancies. NIA claimed that the students were made to appear in the National Talent Search (NTS) test at Hurriyat offices in Pakistan "as a dupe tactic to make them believe that they were writing a pre-qualifying test which would lead to their admission in professional colleges in Pakistan".

Parents Urge Authorities for Solution:

Amid this situation, back in January this year, the parents signed a joint letter, which they sent to the National Conference (NC) leader and Member of the Parliament (MP) Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi to raise the matter in the Parliament.

Submitting a memorandum, they said, "…Scores of medical/dental graduates admitted to different colleges in Pakistan prior to December 2018 are facing immense trauma in absence of security clearance…"

Further highlighting the mental trauma this is causing the students, it added, "Professional careers are at peril besides mental wellbeing and social standing. As the due process continues, we are also facing several difficulties in the renewal of our passports."

It also mentioned that some students who had applied for the renewal of their passports about a year ago have not yet got them. Further, the letter underscored that the sole purpose was to practise medicine and "serve the people of our home country with dedication".

"We and our families are law abiding citizens of India and adhere to the Constitution of the country, and have no affiliation with any banned outfits. We and our families do not support any anti-national activities and our whole education abroad has been fully self-sponsored by our families and the corresponding supporting documents, which include bank statements," it reiterated.

Also Read: MBBS in China: NMC warns Aspirants of Travel Restrictions, reminds of FMG Regulations