Overseas Pakistanis are raising serious concerns as medical colleges fail to implement the promised 15% quota, exposing policy gaps, bureaucratic resistance, and unequal access for students despite their major economic contributions.
Imran Malik – MediaBites – December 9, 2025
Overseas Pakistanis, who send billions of dollars in remittances every year and keep the country’s economy afloat, are now asking a painful question:
Why are their children being denied fair access to medical colleges in Pakistan?
Is this an administrative failure? Bureaucratic resistance?
Or is the overseas community being punished for supporting a particular political party?
A Federal Announcement That Never Reached Punjab
In April 2025, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif announced a 15% dedicated quota for children of overseas Pakistanis in all medical colleges nationwide.
A policy welcomed by thousands of families hoping for equal educational opportunities for their children.
But Punjab’s 2026 admission policy told a very different story.
Despite the PM’s commitment, Punjab allocated only 66 seats for overseas students in public medical and dental colleges — a mere 2% of total seats.
This exposes a glaring disconnect between federal intent and provincial execution.
Why the Overseas Community Is Frustrated
Overseas Pakistanis are justified in their anger:
They contribute massively to Pakistan’s economy — yet their children struggle for access to quality public medical education.
Private medical colleges demand PKR 20–40 lakh per year, making them unaffordable for many middle-class overseas families.
Ironically, private colleges already have foreign/overseas quotas, but the seats often remain unfilled due to exorbitant fees.
So why is the government not expanding affordable public-sector seats?
And why do bureaucratic hurdles appear every time overseas Pakistanis are supposed to receive a genuine benefit?
Is Bureaucracy Blocking the Policy?
Punjab officials argue that seats are limited and local competition is high.
But this raises deeper questions:
If the Prime Minister’s order is clear, who has the power to block it?
Which bureaucrats continue to draw “red lines” on welfare initiatives for overseas Pakistanis?
And why is the province resisting a policy that strengthens Pakistan’s ties with its largest economic contributors?
A Call for the Prime Minister’s Immediate Attention
Trust between overseas Pakistanis and the state is weakening.
This community sustains Pakistan’s foreign reserves — yet their children face barriers in their own homeland.
This is no longer just a quota issue.
It is a crisis of trust between Pakistan and its global diaspora.
The Prime Minister must urgently investigate:
- Why did the 15% quota disappear in Punjab?
- Who blocked it?
- And at what cost to national interest?
