The Ministry of Federal Education and Professional Training has instructed the Higher Education Commission (HEC) to cease recognising graduation and post-graduation degrees obtained from Afghanistan for employment purposes in Pakistan. A notification signed by Federal Secretary Nadeem Mahbub, file number F.No. 1(18)/2025-Policy, took effect on August 27, 2026.

What the policy change covers

The directive applies to all graduation and post-graduation degrees earned from educational institutions in Afghanistan. The HEC will no longer recognise, verify or attest such degrees for job-seeking in any federal or provincial institution across Pakistan. Copies of the notification were sent to the chief commissioner of Islamabad Capital Territory, chief secretaries of all four provinces, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Gilgit-Baltistan, and all provincial education secretaries.

Process for existing degree holders

Individuals who completed post-graduate degrees in Afghanistan before the notification date may still seek recognition through a formal HEC process. The ministry directed the HEC to formulate a testing mechanism and submit it by mid-September 2026. Existing degree holders must follow these steps:

  • Submit an equivalence certificate application to the HEC by November 6, 2026, described in the notification as the absolute last date
  • Take the prescribed test once the HEC publishes the mechanism
  • Undergo a case-by-case equivalence assessment comparing the foreign qualification to a Pakistani qualification
  • Receive an official equivalence certificate upon successful completion of the test and assessment

The ministry stated that no applications will be accepted after the November 6 deadline.

What comes next

The HEC has been asked to disseminate the directive to all public and private-sector stakeholders and ensure compliance. The testing mechanism is expected by mid-September, though its format and content have not yet been published. A separate but related decision by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council on July 31, 2026, had already barred graduates of Afghan medical and dental colleges from taking the licensing examination required to practise medicine in Pakistan, affecting hundreds of Pakistani students studying in Afghanistan.

The notification does not establish how many degree holders are currently affected by the broader policy. Pakistan's foreign ministry has previously estimated around 1,300 Pakistani students across all disciplines in Afghanistan, while student representatives have put the number of medical students alone above 6,000. The specific testing requirements, fees, and the list of Afghan institutions whose degrees fall under the policy also remain unspecified in the notification.