MBBS, BDS Admissions on Hold as PMDC Follows Court Ruling
The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has instructed all medical and dental colleges in Pakistan to halt admissions for MBBS and BDS programs for 2024, following orders from the Sindh High Court (SHC) and Islamabad High Court (IHC), which have issued restraining orders on the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) results, PMDC officials said on Friday.
The courts are currently investigating allegations of irregularities in the MDCAT exams, including a paper leak in Sindh and “out of syllabus” questions in Islamabad. The PMDC officials added that the final rulings from both courts are expected by the end of this month.
Interestingly, the MDCAT results from Dow University and SZAMBU apply nationwide under PMDC regulations. Until the results from these institutions are confirmed, admissions in all medical and dental colleges remain on hold, according to PMDC officials.
In an exclusive interview with The News, PMDC President Prof. Dr. Rizwan Taj confirmed, “We have directed all public and private medical colleges to pause the admission process. The high court rulings are applicable nationwide, and until the courts make their decisions, no admissions can proceed.”
The controversy began after several students, particularly from Sindh, claimed the MDCAT exam paper had been leaked. These claims led to a wave of petitions from affected students, prompting the SHC and IHC to intervene and suspend the admission process.
In Sindh, more than 38,000 candidates took the exam, with some high-performing students raising suspicions. The SHC noted unusual discrepancies in student performance, particularly from certain institutions, where students who performed poorly in board exams scored unusually high in the MDCAT, fueling concerns of malpractice.
In response, the courts have formed committees to thoroughly investigate the allegations. In Sindh, a two-judge bench led by Justice Salahuddin Panhwar directed the creation of a committee to assess the validity of the test and identify any criminal or civil liabilities. Sindh’s Chief Secretary, Asif Hyder Shah, has since appointed a high-powered committee, chaired by Dr. Shireen Mustafa, to submit its findings within 15 days, one of which has already passed.
Similarly, a committee led by Prof. Iqbal Khan, Vice Chancellor of Shifa Tammer-e-Millat University, has been formed by the PMDC to address complaints from students in Islamabad about irregularities in the exam.
Over 160,000 students took the MDCAT nationwide, but the results have been questioned due to varying performances across regions. For example, in Punjab, 58,389 students appeared, with 2,841 scoring over 190 marks, while in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, only 38 out of 42,336 students scored above 190. In contrast, Sindh saw an unusually high number of top scorers, further fueling suspicions of paper leaks.
The PMDC and other stakeholders, including health secretaries and university officials, have assured the courts of their full cooperation in resolving the matter. While the PMDC is under pressure to protect students’ futures, it emphasized that the integrity of the examination process must be upheld.
Both high courts are expected to issue final judgments within a few weeks, leaving the fate of thousands of students in uncertainty. With the MDCAT already facing scrutiny in previous years due to similar issues, this latest controversy complicates Pakistan’s highly competitive and contentious medical admissions process.
The next court hearing is scheduled for late October, with a full investigation expected to conclude in the coming weeks.
News Courtesy: Pro Pakistani
