GUJRAT: The district administration has launched a probe into the alleged scam involving the Hashmat Medical College (HMC), Jalalpur Jattan on Thursday on the demand of affected students.

A group of the college’s students alleged in an application addressed to the deputy commissioner that the HMC administration had misguided them by claiming that the institution had been allowed to admit at least 100 students “as per court order”.

However, last month they had come to know that the college administration had been lying to them about its accreditation by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and affiliation with a chartered medical university, they said.

The students said they had been left in the lurch since the college administration had not been able to conduct annual exams of MBBS Part-I so far which were supposed to be held in October 2017.

In response to the application, the DC appointed Additional Deputy Commissioner (revenue) Syed Musa Raza to conduct a probe into the alleged scam.

Mr Raza summoned the college administration to explain its position.

Mr Younas, the college’s human resource management officer appeared before the inquiry officer on Thursday and stated the HMC had been giving admission to the students on the basis of a permission granted by the Lahore High Court. The college had challenged in the court PMDC’s decision of stopping it from admission, he said. He said a fresh application had also been moved in the high court a few days ago for issue of a direction to a university to hold exams of 100 MBBS Part-I students of the college.

The inquiry officer has sought the court orders regarding the permission for admissions besides other relevant documents.

Meanwhile, parents of many of the affected students lodged a strong protest with the college administration on Thursday at a meeting held on HMC campus.

They rapped the administration’s failure in conducting the exams. The college administration has reportedly assured them that the issue would soon be resolved.

Published in Dawn, February 16th, 2018