ISLAMABAD, June 6: The Supreme Court on Friday suspended the operation of a Lahore High Court order passed on the petition of students of Allama Iqbal Medical College, demanding that the University of Health Sciences, Lahore, should not be allowed to take their examinations and instead the Punjab University be directed to take their examinations.

The Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice Shaikh Riaz Ahmad, after hearing Najmul Hasan Kazmi advocate, representing the University of Health Sciences, suspended the order of the Lahore High Court.

On Monday, a LHC division bench suspended the affiliation of all medical and dental colleges of Punjab with the University of Health Sciences.

The LHC division bench had also issued a notice to the advocate-general Punjab to appear before the court on June 23.

The LHC order was impugned by the University of Health Sciences vice-chancellor before the Supreme Court which took up the case on Friday.

Najmul Hasan Kazmi advocate argued that the University of Health Sciences was a statutory body and could not be barred from performing its functions.

He said arrangements for the conduct of examination were complete and papers were prepared.