IHC Halts PMDC from Issuing Final Admission Merit List

Islamabad High Court IHC has ordered the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council PMDC to halt the release of the final merit list for admissions to MBBS and BDS programs in affiliated medical and dental colleges and universities. The PMDC had earlier accepted applications from students with top marks in the pre-medical group of their intermediate exams, preparing to allocate seats based on these applications. Additionally, the PMDC conducted the MDCAT exam to assess students eligibility and finalize the merit list for admissions. The students can get the detailed information that IHC Halts PMDC from Issuing Final Admission Merit List.

Disputed MDCAT Exam Questions

Students have raised concerns about the MDCAT test, claiming that approximately 30 out of the 200 multiple-choice questions MCQs were either incorrect or not part of the syllabus. Due to these flawed questions, many students found themselves unable to answer them, which negatively impacted their scores. As a result, they secured lower marks than anticipated.

Court Intervention and Stay Order

In response to these issues, several students filed a legal petition with the IHC, contesting the validity of the test. Acting on their complaint, the IHC has issued a stay order, preventing the PMDC from releasing the final merit list for medical and dental college admissions. The court has also summoned relevant parties for a hearing scheduled on 28 October 2024.

Student Claims in Court

In their petition, students emphasized that 30 of the 200 MCQs in the MDCAT exam were erroneous. This significantly impacted their performance and, consequently, their chances of securing admission. The IHCs intervention has temporarily halted the admission process until further review.

Next Steps and Future Hearings

The PMDC had planned to grant admissions based on the results of the MDCAT exam. However, following the courts decision, medical colleges have been directed not to proceed with any admissions until the matter is resolved. The IHC has postponed the hearing on this case until 28 October 2024.