LHC restores PMDC admission rules

LAHORE:A Lahore High Court division bench has set aside a decision of a single bench and restored admission regulations-2019 by Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC), now defunct.

A single bench had set aside the 2019 regulations and ordered the admissions to be made under the previous regulations of 2018. Many overseas Pakistani students had assailed the new regulations for being unconstitutional and contrary to their fundamental rights. However, the PMDC challenged the decision through an intra court appeal which the division bench allowed. The students had pleaded that they passed O&A levels examination in Pakistan; however, later acquired dual nationality of different countries. They said the previous regulation gave due weight toperformance of students in O&A levels or in regular national scheme of secondary school & higher secondary education.

However, the two-judge bench in the verdict observed that the new council had the power to alter, repeal or modify existing regulations. It said that the petitioners/students were in fact not entitled to foreign seat quota under the 2018 regulations.

It noted that the amendments were duly publicised and posted on the PMDC website and was available in the booklet information made available to students prior to taking the MDCAT examination.

“Hence the contention that the amendments came as surprise to them is totally without basis,” said the ruling which allowed the council’s appeal, set aside the impugned judgment by the single bench and restored the 2018 regulations to their original form as amended in 2019. The bench had already stayed the single bench’s decision on October 21.