10 February 2004	Tuesday	18 Zilhaj 1424

LAHORE, Feb 9: Complying with a governor's order, the Punjab University has 'started the process' to hand over the postgraduate medical examinations record to the University of Health Sciences.

The chancellor's direction had come in the light of a superior court ruling. PU registrar Col Masudul Haq (retired) confirmed that the process had begun. The UHS has, meanwhile, issued a date-sheet for M.Phil (primary and final) supplementary examinations for 2001 and annual examinations for 2002.

It will conduct all major subjects' examinations on Feb 28 and March 4, followed by another exercise in seven other subjects on March 8. The practical examinations begin from March 12.

Earlier, the PU collected admission forms, examination fees and issued a date-sheet to conduct the master of surgery (MS) and M.Phil examinations of Postgraduate Medical Institute (PGMI) students. However, PU controller of examinations Prof Dr Ehsan Malik issued a letter on Jan 29 that the university authorities had decided that in future no medical exam of any institution but the King Edward Medical College (KEMC) and Fatima Jinnah Medical College (FJMC) would be conducted by the university.

Sources in the PU, however, claimed that the university was about to hold the PGMI students' examination but the Punjab governor put his foot down. Later, the PGMI academic council unanimously approved its affiliation with the UHS. The latter also agreed to accept all admission forms and examination fees submitted with the PU.

Regarding the direction issued by the governor, sources said it was aimed at regularizing the postgraduate examinations and results declared by the PU during Sept 28, 2002, to Feb 6, 2004.

Sources said the UHS Ordinance was promulgated on Sept 28, 2002, that de-affiliated all undergraduate and postgraduate medical institutions, except the King Edward Medical College and Fatima Jinnah Medical College, from their respective universities.

All the de-affiliated medical institutions were then affiliated with the UHS. Though all other institutions had started working with the UHS, the PU continued to hold examinations for the PGMI students during the last one and a half years.

As all the examinations conducted during this period by the PU could be declared as illegal, sources said, the governor's direction would lead to the regularization of all those examinations.