ISLAMABAD: For many in Pakistan, the US visa freeze has felt like a devastating setback after years of academic effort and ambition, affected applicants and an education consultant said on Friday.

The suspension, ordered by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio earlier this week, halts new student and exchange visa appointments worldwide and is part of a broader policy under President Donald Trump’s administration to intensify screening of foreign nationals, including expanded social media vetting.

US embassies have been instructed to pause interviews while new guidelines are being finalized, as officials in Washington say the goal is to identify potential security risks amid a rise in campus activism following Israel’s war in Gaza, which has sharply polarized student opinion.

Trump’s critics argue, however, the measures are discriminatory and risk undermining access to American higher education for bright students from developing countries — long considered a cornerstone of the US advantage in global research and innovation.

“I had always dreamed of pursuing higher education in the United States and after months of preparation, hard work and dedication, I finally got accepted into New York University,” Mohammad Ibrahim, a student from Lahore, told Arab News over the phone.

“But just as I was preparing for the next big chapter of my life, everything came crashing down,” he continued, adding that due to the sudden visa ban imposed by the Trump administration, his plans have been put on hold.

Ibrahim said despite getting admission after meeting all the university requirements, he was now stuck in an uncertain situation, with nothing to do but wait, hope and keep trying to move forward, even when everything had suddenly gone beyond his control.

“It’s disappointing,” he said. “An entire year of my life feels like being wasted.”

Inayah Murtaza, an exchange program candidate from the same city, said the new US policy had led to delays in visa interviews and a ban on the exchange student program, leaving her and many others devastated.

“American higher education system provides excellent opportunities. However, the recent policies by the Trump administration are extremely devastating,” she said, adding the ban had hurt her both emotionally and financially.

For Malik Zalaid Hassan, from Sheikhupura, who had secured admission to study artificial intelligence at the University of California, the visa suspension was a huge setback.

“I won’t get my money back… I just lost a ton of money,” he told Arab News, emphasizing he had already paid thousands of dollars in tuition and housing fees.

“I really hope America does something about this and I really hope it changes because this has an impact on a lot of people,” he continued.

Mohammad Ayyan Akhtar, a counselor at UniGrad, an education consultancy firm in Lahore, said the visa appointments ban had placed many students in a heart-wrenching situation.

“It includes their financial losses, and on top of everything, their academic loss is a big concern,” he said.

“The Trump administration should lift [the ban] as early as possible to save the loss of hundreds of Pakistani students [of their] academic year,” he added.

ISLAMABAD: Two senior human rights activists, Tahira Abdullah and Samina Khan, were briefly detained by police on Friday outside the Islamabad Press Club for ostensibly protesting against Israel’s war in Gaza before their release later in the day.

A video purportedly showing their arrest depicts them wearing Palestinian flags and keffiyeh scarves as they are escorted away by women police personnel, along with a man and three youths.

Abdullah can be seen asking a policeman why they are being taken away. She then tells the female police personnel not to push her and Khan, and requests that they be moved to a separate car instead of the police truck.

“They [Abdullah and Khan] were illegally picked up from outside the Islamabad Press Club premises and taken away to the women police station in G-7,” lawyer Hadi Ali Chattha told Arab News.

“They aren’t allowed to meet their counsel to discuss options,” he continued. “Station House Officer (SHO) Misbah Waqas is refusing to let their families and counsel meet them.”

Police did not specify any charges against the two rights activists. Islamabad police spokesperson Dr. Taqi Javed also did not respond to a query from Arab News in this regard.

Last year in May, Abdullah was among the protesters who staged a demonstration at Islamabad’s D-Chowk in support of the Palestinians. She had urged everyone to come out in large numbers, saying the Pakistani government would not pay heed to their demands otherwise.

The Islamabad Press Club is a key venue in Pakistan’s capital where journalists and activists hold press conferences and protests. It serves as a platform for raising awareness and drawing media attention to political and social issues. Protesters use it to voice demands and push for government action.

A video of Abdullah and Khan that was later shared by lawyer Chattha shows them stepping out of the police precinct after being released, chanting the slogan, “Free, free Palestine.”

Pakistan does not recognize Israel and supports an independent Palestinian state based on pre-1967 borders, with Jerusalem as its capital.