Due to lack of coordination between the Sindh government’s health department and the university, the province-wide MDCAT exam for medical students has not been scheduled.
The Sindh High Court recently ordered a repeat of the four weeks after receiving a complaint of misconduct. The court had appointed IBA Karachi to conduct the test for Karachi candidates and IBA Sukkur to conduct the test for other districts, but IBA Karachi has since declined to participate.
However, the Health Department’s steps towards resolving the issue have been limited, with only a formal meeting at IBA Karachi announcing that the exam would not be held.
With less than three weeks to go, alternative arrangements for 38,041 candidates, over 12,500 of whom are from Karachi, are yet to be finalised.
Sources said Health Minister Rehan Baloch is yet to provide written instructions, resources or funds to IBA Sukkur. Also, IBA Sukkur does not currently have a question bank for pre-medical level which is difficult to prepare.
The counsel argued that colleges like LUMS and others are also run by PMDC. The court asked, “How much money did you get from these tests?” PMDC’s counsel said it did not have a specific number at the moment.
Justice Amjad Ali Sahito observed: “The amount you got should be more than Rs 45 million.” Justice Salahuddin Panhwar added: “Your management seems to be getting worse.”
PMDC counsel argued that they were working on a collusion with the school. Justice Salahuddin Panhwar observed: “If the PMDC resigns, that is a different matter.”
The court gave a summary verdict on the petition, directing the authorities to conduct an investigation within four weeks. Detailed order details will be announced later.
Earlier, the Sindh High Court had stayed the publication of Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) results and ordered the committee to collect data from each school and prepare a report.
The court also ordered the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) to appoint a team to investigate the matter.
