Excess fee will be refunded to students or adjusted, says PMDC

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A file photo of the PMDC building. — PMDC Website/File
A file photo of the PMDC building. — PMDC Website/File

ISLAMABAD: After capping the private medical and dental colleges’ fees at Rs1.8 million, Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring strict implementation of the fee policy across Pakistan.

The excess fee will be refunded or adjusted the next year.

The announcement was made by PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj during an interaction with mediapersons on Thursday. Registrar Dr Rehan Asghar Naqvi was also present.

It is worth mentioning that PMDC and Pakistan Association of Private Medical and Dental Institutions (PAMI) have reached an agreement to fix fees of private medical and dental colleges.

Annual fee capped at Rs1.8m with maximum increase of 5pc for 2025-26 with future adjustments linked to CPI

As per the agreement, Rs1.8 million will be the annual tuition fee. The cap allows a maximum annual increase of 5 per cent for the session 2025-26 with future adjustments linked to the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The maximum profit permissible to the colleges will be 20pc of the revenue. No private medical or dental institution will be permitted to charge tuition fee in excess of the capped amount. Any fee charged beyond the cap without approval will be subject to regulatory action.

Dr Taj briefed the media representatives on issues of public interest, including fee regulation, student welfare and institutional compliance.

When told that a few medical and dental colleges were still charging fees beyond the officially approved cap, he stated that PMDC was closely monitoring the institutions to ensure full compliance with the fee cap policy. He said every aspiring student deserved access to the highest standard of medical and dental education.

He said quality medical education was a fundamental right of all students regardless of their financial background.

Dr Taj said PMDC had repeatedly issued public notices and awareness messages advising students and parents not to pay any fee beyond the approved cap.

He said PMDC had already taken strict action against non-compliant institutions and issued show-cause notices to 12 medical and dental colleges found violating the fee capping policy.

However, he noted that some of these institutions had approached courts, and therefore the matter was currently sub judice.

Despite the ongoing legal proceedings, the PMDC president said an agreement had already been reached with PAMI under which the institutions will withdraw litigation and ensure relief to students.

He added that a follow-up meeting with PAMI as scheduled to be held at the end of this month.

During the meeting, it will be decided that any institution seeking an enhanced fee cap up to a maximum of Rs2.5 million must submit detailed financial justifications to the PMDC. Any request of fee increase will be evaluated through a proper valuation process, and will get approval by the PMDC only after due assessment.

“Any excessive amount charged will either be refunded to students or adjusted in the next academic year,” Dr Taj said.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2026

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