KARACHI, July 7: Many of the students who allegedly bribed their way into the Sindh Medical College violated not one but several rules, said office-bearers of the Pakistan Medical Association on Monday.

Talking to a group of newsmen at the PMA House, they said at least 30 of the 130-odd students were not domiciled in Karachi. And more than 40 got less than 60 per cent marks in the intermediate examinations.

All the government-run medical colleges in Karachi stipulate that the students be domiciled in Karachi and that they must have scored 60 per cent or more marks in the intermediate examinations, they said.

The doctors were of the opinion that the authorities should come up immediately with a categorical “yes” or “no” vis-a-vis reinstatement of the students who have been on a hunger strike for the last 22 days.

In response to a question, the PMA’s office-bearers claimed that Prof Irshad Moriani and Prof Zia Iqbal were among the doctors who had been asked by the authorities to clarify their position vis-a-vis the so-called fake admissions. It had been decided that action would also be taken against the clerical staff involved in the fraud.

They stated that if prompt action was not taken against the students “buying” seats in the medical colleges, the credibility of their degrees would hit rock bottom. “There was a time when the graduates of Dow, King Edward and Liaquat medical colleges were recognized around the world,” said one of them.

“Hospitals in England and Ireland used to compete with each other for Pakistani doctors. But today, because our degrees are no longer held as credible, our doctors have to take and pass examinations before they are offered jobs.” The PMA members said the credibility of the Pakistani degrees would suffer further if the “fake” students were accommodated in the government medical colleges.

The PMA’s office-bearers demanded that strict action be taken against all the academic and administrative staff of the Sindh Medical College who were involved in the admission fraud. The records of the other medical colleges should also be scrutinized.

In response to a question, they said the students on hunger strike who were domiciled in Karachi at the time of their admission and who had at least 60 per cent marks in the intermediate examinations may be admitted to the private medical institutions in the city.

“We have no objection if the students who fulfil the requirements are admitted to some private institutions.”

The names of the doctors who spoke on the occasion are: Dr Shershah Syed, Dr Habib-ur-Rehman, Dr Haseeb Alam and Dr Aziz Khan Tank.

Meanwhile, some 20 young men who are among the students and have been on a hunger strike for the last 22 days told Dawn that their representatives were likely to meet the chief minister on Tuesday. They claimed that many of their colleagues had bagged more than 70 per cent marks in the intermediate examinations.

They admitted that some of their colleagues were domiciled outside Karachi. They told Dawn that under a compromise being mooted, it was proposed that the students on hunger strike be accommodated in the Baqai Medical University.

In response to a question, they said the students with more than 70 per cent marks should be restored to their seats in the Sindh Medical College. The rest could be admitted to the BMU.