ISLAMABAD – The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Wednesday issued a notice to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) on a petition challenging the sudden change in the MDCAT (Medical and Dental College Admission Test) registration and admission policy.
Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the case and directed the petitioner’s counsel, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, representing medical students, to submit written arguments.
During the hearing, the court observed that the matter was primarily of a provincial nature since, after the 18th Constitutional Amendment, most education-related powers had been devolved to the provinces. Justice Arbab remarked, “This is a provincial matter, yet efforts are being made to bring it back under the federation. Each province can frame its own policy; Sindh or any other province may have a different stance. The registration issues of medical colleges also cannot be ignored.”
Advocate Abbasi argued that the sudden policy change had caused serious difficulties for students who passed last year’s MDCAT, as the registration procedure and decision-making powers were abruptly altered. He maintained that transferring PMDC’s authority to individual colleges was against regulations and that the PMDC itself should decide on exams and registration matters.
The court asked the counsel to specify which legal violations had occurred so that an appropriate order could be issued. Justice Arbab Tahir stated that if the legal position was clear, the court would not hesitate to pass a suitable order.
Abbasi further contended that under Section 47, the matter was clearly defined, and the PMDC should be directed to adopt a uniform policy across all provinces to avoid student hardship.
After a brief recess, the hearing resumed, and the court issued notices to PMDC officials, summoning them on Friday. However, the IHC rejected the petitioner’s plea for an immediate stay order.
The counsel noted that the registration deadline was set for today, but Justice Arbab Tahir said, “We have issued notices and will seek PMDC’s response on Friday.”
