ISLAMABAD: The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has exonerated five officers of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Colleges (PMDC) who were accused of provisional recognition of 15 medical and dental colleges in violation of a top court order.

The report claimed that the colleges were provisionally recognised during the tenure of the defunct Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC), and the PMDC officers had nothing to do with the entire process. The officers include former PMDC registrar Dr Suleman Ahmed, former acting registrar Azhar Ali Shah, Sara Rubab from the legal department, Wasim Imrani, and Farhad Mirza.

These employees had approached the Islamabad High Court (IHC) after a show cause notice was issued to them, and they were declared guilty. They had sought the intervention of the court with a plea that how they could be condemned without a hearing? Subsequently, the court issued a stay order in their favour, which is still intact.

Now, the FIA has cleared them in its report, stating that the abovementioned officers had no involvement in the matter. According to details, the defunct Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) had approved the provisional recognition to 15 medical and dental colleges as it was decided to allow them to enrol students for one year. It decided to hold inspections the next year, which did not materialise.

Report blames defunct PMC heads for recognising medical and dental colleges, violation of Supreme Court order

“In the second year, inspections could not be made, but again, these colleges were allowed to admit students. During the third year [2022], once again the relevant department took up the issue of inspection, but it was ignored. In 2023, Acting Registrar Azhar Ali Shah, after getting the charge of the post, wrote letters to all 15 colleges to stop the intake (of students),” said an official of the health ministry.

The matter was referred to the executive council of the PMDC by its president Dr Rizwan Taj, and the executive council decided to hold inspections of seven colleges out of 15 while the issue of the remaining eight colleges was referred to the ministry, the official added.

“Meanwhile, the five PMDC officers were declared guilty, and [a] show-cause notice was issued to them, but even the allegation(s) was not mentioned in the notices. The health ministry referred the matter to the FIA and, in January 2024, nominated PMDC Registrar Dr Imdad Ali as its focal person for the FIA. The agency called all 15 colleges, and its report stated that Acting Registrar Azhar Ali Shah had rightly stopped medical colleges from intake of students and exonerated all five officials of the PMDC,” he said.

In the report, the FIA held all the heads of the defunct PMC as responsible for the recognition of 15 colleges. It stated that granting provisional recognition to any college was a violation of Supreme Court judgement PLD323 2007.

An official of the PMDC, wishing not to be named, said that recognition of colleges had always been a burning issue for students and parents, and the Supreme Court in the past had given a judgement defining the legality and procedure of the recognition. The court had clarified that there was no room for the provisional recognition of colleges under the PMDC Act.

“The PMDC has been under turbulence due to several ordinances and acts taking place since 2012. In 2020, while the regulator was functioning under the PMC Act 2020, it violated its own act by giving multiple provisional recognitions to colleges in violation of the law. This was not only a violation of the Supreme Court judgement, but it amounted to playing with the future of hundreds of students taking admission in such colleges,” he said.

The FIA also appreciated the action of the acting registrar, who stopped the colleges from making money through a provisional licence. When contacted by Dawn, Dr Azhar confirmed that the FIA investigated the matter. He said that it was a positive development and that all five officers of the PMDC were exonerated.

Published in Dawn, September 27th, 2024