HYDERABAD, Dec 30: Sindh High Court, Hyderabad circuit bench, issued notices to Sindh chief secretary, secretary health and the responsible official of Liaquat University of Medical and Health Sciences to appear in the court on Jan 8 on a constitutional petition.

The petitioners prayed the court to declare illegal the decision of respondents to allow the admission of students on the basis of second entry test conducted by IBA despite detection of corruption and irregularities in it.

The petitioners also prayed the court to direct respondents to prepare the merit list for admission in first year MBBS classes 2001-2002 on the basis of results announced by the boards of intermediate and secondary education of Sindh and not on that of the entry test held on Nov 15.

The petition was jointly filed by an office-bearer of Pakistan Medical Association, Dr Noor Mohammad Memon, and a student, Saima Noor, through Ejaz Ali Hakro, advocate.

The petitioners stated that the secretary health had fixed Oct 28 as the date of the entry test in which petitioner Saima also appeared but result of this test was not announced, making the credibility of the test doubtful and controversial as there were reports that the majority of the questions had been leaked out before the examination.

The secretary health cancelled the result of the entry test and a new date was announced after students raised objections.

The students maintained that respondents should consider the result of SSC and HSC for the admission and drop the entry test.

They informed that in the wake of protest and controversy arising out of Oct 28 test, the coordinator of IBA also resigned from the post.

They made it clear that although the credibility of the entry test had become doubtful yet they had no choice but to appear in second entry test on Nov 15.

Some 5,426 students appeared in the examination but many irregularities came to the fore during this test. The IBA reviewed 31 admission cases and 34 cases of irregularities were detected.

When the director of IBA registered FIR against the institute staff, the secretary health also cancelled the results of the second test.

The petitioners said that similar demands were made by the educationists who said that the entry test system undermined the normal system of examinations.

The petitioners informed that respondents Sindh government and secretary health again revoked their decision of holding the third test and validated the result of the second test notwithstanding the fact that 34 cases of irregularities were detected in it.

They stated that the results announced by the boards had remained non-controversial and accepted by everyone therefore the admissions should be given on the basis of these results.

Petitioner Saima Noor said that there were 111 seats reserved for Hyderabad and she was placed on serial no 80 out of 649 on the merit list. She added that she was aggrieved by the decision of respondents therefore she had filed this petition.