LAHORE, Jan 29: The Punjab University has refused to conduct the master of surgery (MS) and M Phil examinations of the students of the Post Graduate Medical Institute despite issuing date sheets for the examinations.

The PU shocked the PGMI administration on Thursday, as it sent a letter stating that it could no more take medical examinations of the institute. The letter, issued on behalf of PU controller of examinations Prof Dr Ehsan Malik, says: "The PU higher authorities have decided that in future no medical examination of any institution, except the King Edward Medical College and Fatima Jinnah Medical College, will be conducted by the university."

Sources in the PU said the institute was about to conduct the PGMI students' examination, but the Punjab governor (who is also chancellor), directed it to stop conducting PGMI students' examinations. When contacted, the PGMI senior officials and students expressed surprise over the latest move and said it would create immense problems for them. The officials also said that the PGMI was never de-affiliated from the PU and the latest move was an 'abrupt decision.' They said the PGMI academic council had also passed a unanimous resolution

An institute official said the PGMI had also submitted over Rs315,000 with the university as an examination fee. He said the institute had sent admissions of its 17 MS and 22 M Phil students at the rate of Rs12,050 and Rs5,050 per head, respectively. When contacted, the PU controller of examination said the government had told the university on Wednesday last that it should not conduct medical examination of any student.

PU registrar Col Masoodul Haq (retired) said the university would welcome PGMI students for examinations, if the government would notify that it would stay with the PU. "The university had also asked the Punjab government many times, but it did not issue a notification in this regard," he said.

Answering a question, he said, "people have started asking the PU why is it taking medical examinations when it is allowed to conduct examinations only for the KEMC and FJMC."

Regarding collection of fees and issuing date sheets for the examinations, Col Haq said the process was done because there was no clear-cut instruction about the PGMI. Now, he said, the government had directed the PU to stop conducting PGMI students' examinations. He also said the PGMI administration should now contact the University of Health Sciences for examination of their students.When contacted, UHS vice-chancellor Prof Dr Malik Husain Mubashir said the Lahore High Court and the Supreme Court had already given their verdict that the undergraduate and postgraduate medical education would be exclusively looked after by the UHS in the Punjab, exception being transitory and for the time being of undergraduate medical education at KEMC and FJMC.

Prof Malik also said the Punjab Medical College, Faisalabad, students had also approached the Supreme Court against the permission granted to the KEMC and FJMC to stay with the PU. But, he quoted the court as saying that it did not consider this a discrimination, as it was for the time being. The court had said that this issue should also be corrected, he added.

Answering a question, Prof Malik he said the objection that the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences and the University of Agriculture, Faisalabad, were also conducting medical examinations was unfounded.

He said both the universities were conducting medical examinations related to animals and plants, respectively. Answering another question, he said the UHS was ready to conduct MS and M Phil examinations of the PGMI students as soon as it would receive admission forms from the institute.

DATE EXTENDED: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education has extended the last date for the submission of admission forms with triple fee for secondary school annual examinations from Feb 4 to 6. The secondary school annual examinations, 2004, will begin on March 6.