LHC sets aside PMC plea for cancellation of admissions

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court Friday set aside a decision of the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) for cancellation of admissions in several private medical and dental colleges for session 2020-21.

The PMC had contended that admission process for the respective medical colleges were tainted, in violation of the admission regulations and that the interview process was not transparent. The Commission said it had received complaints about irregularities in the process of the admissions. The students had challenged the decision pleading that on the basis of a general order, their rights with respect to admission in medical colleges had been prejudiced and they had not been heard by the PMC before making the impugned decision.

They argued that the decision of the Commission for the new admission process not only jeopardized their educational career but also amounted to wasting their time as the academic calendar for the current year for MBBS/BDS professional examination ends in December 2021. Justice Ayesha Malik had already suspended the impugned decision of the PMC through a short order on May 7. In her detailed judgment, the judge observed that the PMC neglected to decide about the complaints and instead formed a general opinion of irregularities which it has been attempting to defend before the court.

“It is clarified that even if the objective of the PMC is to retain transparency, merit and it has attempted to do so in a manner not authorized under the law,” states the verdict. The judge remarked that the PMC should have addressed each and every complaint on merit, passing a specific order with respect to the basic complaint against the respective college. Allowing the petitions, the judge set aside the impugned decision of the PMC. However, it observed that the Commission can take necessary action against the colleges in accordance with 2021 regulations following due process.