Chief Justice of Pakistan Mian Saqib Nisar. PHOTO: EXPRESS
LAHORE: Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar said on Saturday that the court would order all development projects, including the Orange Line Metro train, to stop if the government ‘failed to improve health and education sectors’.
“There will be no compromise on education and health,” the chief justice said while conducting suo motu hearing on the issue of exorbitant fees being charged by private medical colleges.
The owners and chief executives of private medical colleges who were present during the hearing submitted their affidavits and account details on court orders.
The chief justice barred private medical colleges from charging more than Rs642,000 in fees and warned them of a complete shutdown if any discrepancies are found in their accounts.
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“No medical college will be registered now and if you have charged extra fees, you will have to return it back,” the chief justice said.
The chief justice expressed his concern over the inability of poor families to send their children in the medical profession because they could not afford high charges. "The poor man's child also wants to become a doctor but can't due to a lack of resources," he said.
"You are charging Rs642,000 in fees – we have to look into this," the chief justice told the owners and chief executives of private medical colleges. "You will have to return the excess amount, if found. If any medical college is found charging even a rupee more, it will not bode well for them."
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The chief justice further said: "Now we will get to understand the science of medical colleges; and if a fault is found, we will shut down all the private medical colleges and universities. No medical college will now be allowed to register."
Justice Nisar also criticised the medical college industry's admission policy and passing-out criteria, saying: "Private medical colleges do their own marking and pass their students themselves. There should be a uniformed admission policy and one merit. We will not let admissions take place on the basis of donations and money."
The chief justice also barred the Young Doctors Association (YDA) from going on strikes.
He also formed a constitutional committee to visit all the medical colleges in Pakistan. The committee headed by the attorney general would check available facilities at the colleges.
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“Medical colleges and universities that do not fulfil the laid-down criteria will be closed down,” he remarked.
However, the chief justice allowed private medical colleges to take admission and warned that action would be taken against them if they charged any fee above Rs642,000.
He directed YDA General Secretary Dr Salman Kazmi to stop staging protests and remarked, “If you doctors have any issue, you should approach the court.”
He also ordered the Sharif Medical College administration to refund money to students who had filed a complained in the court.
During the previous proceeding, the court had directed the Sharif Medical College principal, Brig (retd) Dr Zafar Ahmed to fill the pro forma, featuring details of bank accounts and expenditures incurred on running the college.
The court had also sought a complete record of three medical colleges, including the Sharif Medical and Dental College.
The bench ordered the owners of the Central Park Medical College and the Amna Inayat Medical College to appear in person along with affidavits and details about fee structure, admission criteria and facilities being provided to students.
During the previous hearing, a person in the courtroom suddenly broke into tears and said that her daughter fulfilled merit requirements, but they could not afford the fee.
“I only had Rs500,000 for the fee of my daughter and couldn’t pay the rest of the amount,” he pleaded.
A Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) representative had told the court that there was a 5% scholarship quota for outstanding students, but they never received a single application from private colleges for these awards.
The Punjab chief secretary told the court that the Punjab Educational Endowment Fund had been established for the financial support of intelligent and deserving students.
The bench directed him to check as to what extent the fund could support deserving students.
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