FIA, ACE to probe MDCAT scandal
Caretaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) government has decided to engage the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) and the provincial Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) to probe and prosecute the people involved in the MDCAT scandal.
MDCAT stands for Medical and Dental College Admission Test. This paper-based test is conducted in the country and internationally by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) each year for individuals aspiring to pursue undergraduate medical and dental education in Pakistan.
The MDCAT tests held in the K-P on September 11 were, however, marred by the use of unfair means. During the test, the examination staff apprehended more than 40 students for allegedly trying to cheat using Bluetooth devices. In view of the scandal, the caretaker provincial cabinet on September 29 also decided to re-conduct the test within six weeks.
According to government sources, the provincial government has now decided to take action against all individuals involved in cheating including the candidates and their facilitators and mafias which allegedly minted millions of rupees.
They said the FIA and the ACE will now issue notices to all such accused—government officials and influential individuals included—in the scandal before initiating their probes. All arrested individuals, including those found cheating as well as their parents will also be subjected to scrutiny.
If the accused are proven guilty of their crimes, both the FIA and the ACE will file cases against them. In addition to recovering the money transferred from the candidates to their alleged facilitators, efforts will also be made to trace the source of the funds.
Earlier, the provincial government had claimed that “proactive measures” had already led to the apprehension of individuals involved in unlawful activities, with more arrests in progress.
Published in The Express Tribune, October 3rd, 2023.