PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Microbiology, Biotechnology and Biochemistry Association on Tuesday demanded the immediate restoration of licences for graduates of microbiology, biochemistry and biotechnology, claiming that the suspension of licences by the Allied Health Professional Council had rendered more than 25,000 graduates unemployed across the country.
Speaking at a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club, the association’s central president, Dr Muhammad Salman Amazai, accompanied by Dr Khalid Amin, Dr Sidra Farooq, Dr Hafeezullah and Dr Amjad Khan Afridi, said the Allied Health Professional Council had been issuing licences to graduates but suddenly stopped the process in September 2025 because the council had no representative from these disciplines.
He alleged that the suspension of licences had left more than 25,000 graduates unemployed across Pakistan. He said notices had also been issued to universities across the country, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, due to which many experts in microbiology, biochemistry and biotechnology had been removed from universities and some institutions had started closing these departments.
Dr Salman said they had approached Federal Health Minister Dr Mustafa Kamal, who had directed the council to withdraw the decision to stop issuing licences, but his instructions had not been implemented and the removal of experts continued.
He said many experts working abroad had also become unemployed after failing to renew their licences.He appealed to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, Chief Justice of Pakistan Yahya Afridi, Federal Minister for National Health Services Regulations and Coordination Syed Mustafa Kamal and Higher Education Commission Chairman Dr Niaz Akhtar to intervene and direct the Allied Health Professional Council to restore the licences so that the future of more than 25,000 graduates in Pakistan and those affected abroad could be secured.
