LARKANA: Perturbed over reports that the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has declined to register students graduating from the Bibi Aseefa Dental College (BADC) — a constituent unit of the Shaheed Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto Medical University (SMBBMU) —, affected students on Tuesday boycotted their classes and held a demonstration at the main gate of the college against the university administration.Speak­ing to them, their leaders including Zain Khaskheli, Kashif Shar, Ghulam Hussain Gamb and Sadaqat Soomro said that the university had put the future of several hundred students at stake.

The criticised the university for enrolling students without getting the college registered with the PMDC.

The leaders, who had held a meeting with SMBBMU Vice Chancellor Prof Ghulam Asghar Channa on Monday to discuss the issue, told

Dawn said that at present there were five batches studying at the college but the PMDC had reportedly refused to register them. Zain Khaskheli, a BDS final year student, said that the future of as many as 250 students hanged in the balance.

“The administrations of both, the university and college, kept the students in the dark regarding the college’s recognition by the registration authority,” he said.

Regarding their negotiations with the vice chancellor, the student leaders said “the VC has sought time till Nov 15 telling us that the university will hopefully succeed in convincing the PMDC to do a due favour”.

When asked about the outcome of a recent meeting between Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Syed Khurshid Shah and a representative delegation of the affected students in Sukkur, Mr Khaskheli said that Mr Shah held out the assurance that he would approach the PMDC to get this genuine issue resolved.

He said Mr Shah also told them that in case the PMDC could not be convinced, then some other medical university within Sindh would be requested to accommodate these students and arrange for their classes and examination.

Ironically, the SMBBMU has invited applications for new admission to the BADC in BDS for the session 2016-2017 as if it is has nothing to do with the future of 250 students already facing an uncertain situation.

The PMDC website does not even have the name of the BADC in its list of recognised dental colleges/dental sections of public and private institutions in the country.

BADC principal Dr Ilyas Shaikh, speaking to Dawn on Tuesday, acknowledged the unrest among the students and said: “We expect a visit to the college by PMDC inspectors by Nov 15 or so to assess the infrastructure and faculties available at the institution with a view to grant it the necessary recognition.”

“We have overcome all shortcomings vis-a-vis the faculty, building and laboratory. We are trying our best to get an early PMDC recognition for the college in order to save the future of its students.”

Dr Shaikh was of the view that if government took interest in the issue, it could be resolved soon.

Commenting on PMDC president Dr Shabbir Lahri’s stance that “[PMDC] rules do not allow us to accord registration to a college that opens admissions without seeking the necessary permission from the registration authority”, Dr Shaikh: “We will tap other options”.

Elaborating, he said in the year 2011, a similar issue was faced by the Ghulam Mohammed Mahar Medical College, Sukkur, and it was resolved after the college paid the per student fine to the PMDC.

“The SMBBMU administration is likely to opt for the same option,” he said.

When asked if the BADC had invited the PMDC inspectors to visit the institution for the purpose of assessment for recognition, Dr Shaikh replied in the affirmative but added that the PMDC had sought more details about the facilities and standards at the college in response to the invitation letter.

“We will do the needful on Wednesday,” he said and express confidence that the visit would be fruitful.

Published in Dawn October 26th, 2016

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