LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Friday disposed of a set of petitions filed by private medical colleges and students allowing the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to implement its 2016 admission regulations for medical and dental colleges for new admissions.

Previously, the court had suspended the regulations when the PMDC was going to implement them retrospectively on the admissions held in 2016. The new regulations empower University of Health Sciences (UHC) to conduct admissions in medical and dental colleges.

Defending the PMDC regulations, its counsel Noshab A Khan had contended that the new regulations were made to ensure principles of equality and transparency in admissions.

Private colleges’ plea rejected

On the other side, counsel of the colleges/students had opposed the retrospective effect given to the new regulations. They said the colleges had already conducted admissions when the PMDC introduced the central induction policy.

It was argued that the PMDC issued a notification on Oct 27, 2016, to do away with SAT-II examination for the purpose of entry into medical colleges. They said the students were seeking admission to private medical colleges that offered admissions on the basis of either the National University of Medical Sciences (NUMS) entrance test or SAT-II test.

They said the students took SAT-II test and result was announced on Oct 27, the day the PMDC issued the impugned regulations and in this way the petitioners were made ineligible for admission.

Students’ counsel argued that the impugned policy of the government was unconstitutional and discriminatory in nature.

In this case, Justice Shams Mahmood Mirza had given several opportunities to petitioners (colleges) and the government to sit together and reach an amicable solution to the matter.

However, they failed to reach a consensus and the 2016 admissions were held according to old regulations while the new policy remained suspended.

Senate standing committee on health services had also proposed that the PMDC should consider the implementation of the 2016 regulations for next year admissions.

Justice Mirza on Friday disposed of the petitions and observed that the PMDC could implement its policy for new admissions and the colleges were free to approach the council in case of any grievance.

Published in Dawn, August 5th, 2017