ISLAMABAD, May 17: Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) on Tuesday sought intervention of Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz to save Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC). In a letter addressed to the prime minister, the association suggested him to constitute a high-powered committee to probe into the recent events and resolve the issue of registration of private medical colleges and their students with the council in accordance with its rules and regulations.

“The PMA is extremely concerned about the direction issued by the Senate Standing Committee on Health, which asked the health ministry to regulate the council to avoid controversy about registration of students of private medical colleges in future,” it said.

“It is extremely difficult for institutions like PMDC to work under pressure from a body like the Senate,” said the letter signed by the PMA secretary-general, Dr Shershah Syed. “The Senate has no right to decide about the job of registrar of the medical council or to pressurize PMDC for the registration of quacks.”

The standing committee had also suggested constitution of an inquiry commission to look into the controversy about denial of registration to the students of private medical colleges by the council.