KARACHI, March 31: The Sindh High Court allowed on Monday another seven expelled students of Sindh Medical College to appear provisionally in their final MBBS examination.
A Sindh High Court division bench, comprising Justice Sarmad Jalal Osmany and Justice Rehmat Hussain Jaferi, had, earlier on March 27, allowed another group of student petitioners to appear in the professional examination subject to a final decision by the college authorities on the validity of their admissions five years ago.
The petitioners were expelled for obtaining admission to the college in violation of the rules. They challenged their expulsion and sought permission to appear in the final exam. The bench disposed of the petitions and the applications for interim relief by the same short order, for reasons to be recorded later.
The petitioners were represented by Advocate Raja Qureshi and the SMC and the Sindh health department by Advocate-General Mansoor Anwar Khan.
The court order said: “The petitioners would be allowed to sit in the final year MBBS professional examinations, which are due to commence from March 31 and shall be over on April 20.
“As far as their admission to the SMC is concerned, which is the bone of contention between the parties, the matter shall be thoroughly investigated by the concerned authority, which shall hear the petitioners on April 21. However, the petitioners shall deposit copies of the documents upon which they rely to establish the bona fides of their admission with the SMC principal by tomorrow (March 28 in case of the first batch of petitioners and April 1 in that of the second batch) till 3pm.
“Upon hearing all the petitioners on the aforementioned date, the concerned authority shall be free to pass orders based on the record as well as the arguments addressed at the time of hearing in accordance with law.
“The order is subject to the orders which shall be passed ultimately by the concerned authority.”
Several petitions moved by second, third and fourth year students expelled from the college are pending before another bench. No interim order has been passed on the petitions. The bench observed that the question was for the parties to decide.
