ISLAMABAD: A large number of students and faculty members of Yusra Medical and Dental College Islamabad and Continental Medical College Lahore on Monday held a protest outside the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) against the closure of their colleges.

“We are shocked because of the decision of the council as second and third year exams are to be held after a month. The students of final year will appear in their exam after two months. If the closure of the colleges was necessary we should have been sent to other colleges at the start of the session. Now we fear that other colleges may not accept us or they will tell us to repeat the session due to which our one year would be lost. Moreover, the new colleges can demand extra amount from us,” Hunain Faheem, a student of final year from the CMCL, told Dawn.

After the inspections of both the colleges, the PMDC recently closed them and directed the students to inform about the colleges in which they wanted to be sent. The students have been informed that they would have to complete their education in other registered medical colleges.

Say if PMDC action as necessary, they should have been sent to other colleges at the start of academic session

The decision to close the colleges was made after an investigation by the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) about colleges which were registered during the tenure of Dr Asim Hussain as the PMDC president in 2010.

There were allegations that the colleges were registered after getting bribes.

Mr Faheem said: “We spent whole day here protesting against the decision of the council. Though PMDC Registrar Dr Waseem Hashmi assured us that he would look into the issue but we were not given any assurance in writing. After a day-long protest we have decided to go back and return again after deciding our future line of action,” he said.

President Parents Council at the Yusra Medical College Dr Imran Khattak told the protesters that the college was closed without giving any notice.

“It is unfortunate that no one is willing to listen to our point of view. Even students were not given an opportunity to give their input over the issue and their future has been put on a stake. We want justice and will continue our struggle for it,” he said.

A few days ago, the PMDC registrar told Dawn that the decision of the council to adjust the affected students in other colleges would secure and streamline their future.

Published in Dawn, September 4th, 2018