FIA acts against ‘illegal registration’ of 15 colleges

Agency kicks off probe by summoning four PMDC officials

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has initiated action against the alleged “illegal registration” of 15 medical colleges.

The FIA anti-corruption circle has started an investigation, by summoning four officials of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) including its deputy director (law) Sarah Rabab and assistant administration Shaan Elahi.

The FIA has also issued a letter to the PMDC registrar in this connection.

According to sources, these 15 colleges were recognised by the defunct Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) in the year 2020 "without inspection". The PMC did not conduct an inspection even in the year 2021.

Two office-bearers of the body, Dr Khurshid Ahmad and Dr Sitara Hassan, did not examine these colleges in the year 2022. Dr Sitara was the member (education) in the year 2020.

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The present PMDC has stopped admissions into these 15 colleges for the ongoing year.

On June 1, 2023, the PMDC registrar wrote to all colleges, telling them not to admit students this year, pending inspection and council’s decision.

These “illegally registered” 15 medical institutes include Abbottabad International Medical College; Frontier Medical and Dental College Abbottabad; Azra Naheed Dental College in Lahore; Dow International Dental College in Karachi; Fazaia Ruth Pfau Medical College in Karachi; Khairpur Medical College; Muhammad Medical College in Mirpurkhas; Peshawar Medical College; Shifa College of Dentistry in Islamabad; Suleman Roshan Medical College in Tando Adam; Swat Medical College; and Watim Medical and Dental College in Rawalpindi.

The PMDC spokesperson could not be contacted for comments despite repeated attempts.

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The Pakistan Medical Council Ordinance established the present-day PMDC as a statutory body in 1962 and all provincial councils were dissolved.

Three amendments were passed thereafter as the Medical and Dental Council (Amendment) Act in 1973, 1999 and 2012

In 2019, President Dr Arif Alvi passed a law and dissolved the PMDC to create a new body named the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC).

However after three years in 2022, the Islamabad High Court restored the PMDC and declared the formation of the PMC – a body formed through a presidential ordinance in its place – as illegal.

(With input from our News Desk in Karachi)