KARACHI: Without disclosing the findings of an eagerly awaited inquiry report on an alleged examination paper leak, the Sindh government announced on Tuesday that the controversial Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2023 would be held afresh through the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS).

The announcement came from the Chief Minister’s House in a statement.

“Caretaker Sindh Chief Minister Justice (retd) Maqbool Baqar on the recommendation of the inquiry committee has approved the re-conduct of the MDCAT-2023 entry test through the Dow University. He has also referred the matter to FIA to unearth the delinquents and proceed against them,” the statement said.

The committee revealed that the paper was leaked approximately four to five hours before the start of the MDCAT-2023 entry test, the statement added.

Govt keeps inquiry report under wraps, asks FIA to unearth ‘delinquents’; PMA calls for making report public

According to sources, it took the government a month to make the decision which was keenly awaited by some 40,000 students across the province who took the paper organised by the Jinnah Sindh Medical University.

Still, sources said, it preferred not to make the inquiry report public and decided to hand over the matter to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA), which hasn’t been given any deadline to submit its report to the chief minister.

It is important to mention here that the committee on whose recommendation the chief minister has now announced the re-conduct of the entry test included a member of the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA). Besides, the same committee was tasked not only to investigate the allegations of the paper leak but also to fix responsibility.

“The committee shall probe into the allegations of MDCAT 2023 paper leakage, held on Sept 10, and fix the responsibility against the delinquents,” said the Sept 19 notification issued by the provincial chief secretary.

The inquiry committee — which was established after the health minister dissolved the first inquiry body set up by JSMU — was given one week to submit its report to the health secretary.

However, sources said, the report was submitted last week, first to the health secretary then to the chief minister who reportedly sent it to the universities and boards department for release.

“Apparently, there were some reservations over its findings and the matter was left to the chief minister,” said a health department official.

According to him, the committee has identified some links involved in the leakage and that it has questioned why an additional director was appointed on a contingency basis in the test process instead of involving a regular official.

Call to make report public

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Medical Association demanded that the government make public the report of the inquiry committee.

“The government knows everything and seems to be protecting someone. We want to know the committee’s findings,” said Dr Abdul Ghafoor Shoro, representing the PMA. He feared a similar episode would occur next year if the culprits were allowed to go scot-free.

The government, he pointed out, had all the relevant data and the re-test must be held within two weeks.

Published in Dawn, October 11th, 2023