KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) is set to take up and likely to decide two petitions impugning the retake of the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) on Tuesday (today).

A two-judge bench of SHC headed by Chief Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi will take up the petitions for hearing. The bench had previously restrained the Dow University of Health Sciences (DUHS) from proceeding further with admission process in pursuant to the Nov 19 MDCAT till today.

It also allowed applications of several students seeking to become interveners in these proceedings and directed the petitioners’ lawyers to cite them as petitioners/respondents.

On Nov 2, the SHC, through a short order, had dismissed two petitions filed by dozens of candidates against re-conducting of MDCAT and had allowed the authorities concerned to go ahead with the MDCAT exams afresh.

However, several students/candidates petitioned the SHC against the retake of the MDCAT 2023-24 conducted by the DUHS on Nov 19 and contended that the test paper was leaked again and sold for Rs1.2 million a night before the scheduled exams.

On a previous hearing, the DUHS and Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) had filed counter affidavits and objections on the petitions and denied the allegations.

The bench took the same on record and directed the respondents to provide the copies to the petitioners’ lawyers.

Delays in admission

The lawyers for several other students/candidates also filed applications seeking to become interveners in the proceedings and contended that the applicants had passed the test and they were suffering due to delay in the announcement of the MDCAT results.

Since the lawyers for petitioners not raised any objection, the bench allowed the applications of interveners. It noted that the lawyers for parties sought urgency on the ground that the cut-off-date for issuance of merit list of government medical colleges was Dec 15, which has already expired, whereas the cut-off-date for private colleges is Jan 15.

“Therefore, by consent to come up on 26.12.2023 at 11:30am when instant matters will be finally heard and disposed of at Katcha Peshi stage”, the bench in its order concluded.

The petitioners had impleaded the secretary health department Sindh, PMDC, DUHS and Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) as respondents, seeking a directive for a re-conduct of MDCAT through a reputable and uncontroversial university, as per the law.

Initially, MDCAT 2023-24 was conducted on Sept 10 by the Jinnah Sindh Medical University (JSMU), however, the same was mishandled due to the test paper’s leakage and circulation on social media.

Thereafter, an inquiry committee had investigated the matter and found significant evidence about unauthorised release of the test paper and the inquiry report was duly approved by the Sindh cabinet and decided to retake the MDCAT through DUHS, the petitioners maintained.

Published in Dawn, December 26th, 2023