MULTAN, June 21: The Multan bench of the Lahore High Court has directed the academic council of the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) to promote higher education in the field of medicines rather than discouraging specialization in various disciplines.

Justice Nasim Sabir issued the direction on a petition filed by Dr Tariq Hasan and Dr Qaiser Hasan Ansari. The court further directed the council that it should make every effort to the effect that no body was deprived of the chance to improve his education.

The petitioners had challenged a CPSP council notification (6-1/Exam-01/CPSP/440S) issued on March 3, 2001. The college had discontinued the member of the college of physicians and surgeons (MCPS) examination for 13 different disciplines, including psychiatry and dermatology for which the petitioners Tariq and Qaiser had applied for respectively.

The petitioners had pleaded that they participated in a number of MCPS diploma examinations but they had yet to pass the exam when the CPSP council stopped conducting diploma exams in 13 disciplines and instead directed the candidates to qualify for the fellowship of college of physicians and surgeons (FCPS).

In his judgment, Justice Sabir observed that the rights of the petitioners had been taken away without assigning any reason for winding up such a high number of disciplines. The step would have affected the candidates desirous of higher education and negated the purpose of the ordinance under which the CPSP council was established.

Referring the matter to the council, the court directed that a fresh notification be issued which should be in line with the spirit of the CPSP Ordinance No XX, 1962 (to promote higher education in the specialized fields of medicines and surgery).