Foreign quota students to continue paying fees in dollars after FCC ruling

FCC rejects MBBS students' pleas seeking permission to pay in Pakistani currency

ISLAMABAD:

The Federal Constitutional Court (FCC) has dismissed a slew of petitions filed by students of medical colleges in Sindh, who had sought permission to pay their fees in Pakistani currency after securing admission under the foreign/overseas quota.

A three-member FCC bench led by Chief Justice Amin-ud-Din Khan heard the petitions.

During the hearing, counsel for the students, Shahab Sarki, argued that the students had been granted admission under the overseas quota by the universities themselves, despite the fact that the students had completed their entire education in Pakistan.

He contended that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had displayed show-cause notices on its website instead of properly serving them on the students, and that the universities had forcibly placed the students under the foreign quota.

The students' counsel contended that students should not be penalized for the mistakes of the universities, adding that they could only be adjusted in other universities.

The PMDC's counsel, Jahangir Jadun, informed the court that the students had themselves applied for admission under the overseas quota. He claimed that both the students and the universities were responsible for admissions under an incorrect quota.

"The students obtained admission to medical colleges under the overseas quota in the academic year 2022-23. After paying fees in foreign currency for two years, they approached the Sindh High Court (SHC) seeking permission to pay their fees in local currency.

"However, the SHC dismissed their writ petitions," he said. After hearing arguments, the FCC upheld the SHC and dismissed the students' appeals.

The foreign quota in Pakistani medical colleges reserves a percentage of seats (around 5-15%) for international students or overseas Pakistanis.

It allows students to apply with foreign qualifications like SAT-II or MCAT/UCAT, often requiring higher fees in dollars, and creating a separate merit list for these candidates to ensure dedicated opportunities for non-Pakistani nationals in public and private institutions.

These admissions are regulated by the PMDC, the regulator of medical education in Pakistan.