SAHIWAL: An Afghan national working as a postgraduate resident doctor at Sahiwal Teaching Hospital was taken into custody by police after failing to present a valid visa, authorities confirmed.
According to the District Police Officer (DPO), Dr. Noor, a postgraduate resident specializing in Urology, was detained by Farid Town Police while working at the hospital. The police stated that the doctor had been living in Pakistan without the necessary legal documentation.
Hospital officials revealed that the administration had previously issued notices to four Afghan doctors, instructing them to submit valid visas or face restrictions on their access to the facility. The notices targeted Dr. Noor ul Haq (Urology), Dr. Shafiqullah Shafiq (Nephrology), Dr. Azizullah Zeerak (Nephrology), and Dr. Noor Ahmad Omerkhil (Urology).
The Medical Superintendent explained that the action was taken following a directive from the District Police on June 29, which was in line with instructions from the Ministry of Interior and Narcotics Control regarding illegal Afghan residents. The hospital had asked the four doctors to provide valid visa documentation promptly, warning that failure to do so would result in restricted hospital access until compliance was achieved.
Dr. Noor failed to submit a valid visa within the given deadline, leading to his arrest by Farid Town Police during his duty hours at the hospital. Sources from the hospital noted that the doctor was actively on duty at the time of detention and that his application for a visa extension was still pending.
The Ministry of Interior had issued a nationwide directive on June 29, instructing provincial authorities and law enforcement agencies to take swift action against Afghan nationals residing in Pakistan without proper visas. Starting from July 10, 2026, anyone found staying illegally in the country is subject to immediate detention under the government’s Illegal Foreigners’ Repatriation Plan (IFRP).
Pakistan’s crackdown on undocumented foreign nationals began in 2023 and was intensified in 2025 after the government revoked hundreds of thousands of residence permits granted to Afghan citizens. Official data shared with a Senate committee indicated that over one million Afghan nationals have been deported from Pakistan since the start of these efforts.
