HEC’s new passport requirement leaves thousands of returning Afghan students in limbo
PESHAWAR:
Afghan students returning home face serious challenges in getting their degrees verified by the Higher Education Commission (HEC).
The students say that before the government’s decision to repatriate Afghan refugees, they were admitted to Pakistani universities using Proof of Registration (PoR) and Afghan Citizenship Cards (ACC). However, these same documents are now being rejected for degree verification.
According to the affected students, when they approach HEC for verification, they are told that degrees based on PoR and ACC cards are no longer attested. Verification is now only possible with a passport.
The students explained that they completed their education in various colleges and universities of Pakistan including University of Peshawar based on PoR and ACC cards. Admissions were granted, exams conducted and HEC-issued degrees were awarded, but the same documents are now considered invalid.
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The situation has become more critical as the federal government encourages Afghan citizens to return to Afghanistan. Without HEC certificate, the educational qualifications of these students are rendered useless in Afghanistan and other countries.
Most affected students do not have Afghan passports because they have spent their entire educational life in Pakistan under PoR and ACC cards. The new passport requirement has limited their opportunities for further education, employment and future prospects.
The students have called on the HEC and the Government of Pakistan to review the policy and allow degree verification based on the same documents on which they were admitted and awarded degrees, to ensure that thousands of educated young Afghans do not face an uncertain future.
