ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has directed the College of Physicians and Surgeons Pakistan (CPSP) to get its postgraduate institutions accredited from the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

The two organisations have been at loggerheads over the accreditation issue for long. As both the PMDC and the CPSP were established through an Act of parliament, the CPSP was of the view that it was not bound to register its postgraduate institutions with the PMDC.

However, the IHC has now directed the CPSP to make a regularity framework provided under the PMDC ordinance.

PMDC President Dr Shabbir Lehri told Dawn that the CPSP was a recognised postgraduate institution under the 1962 PMDC ordinance.

He said the council would continue working to improve all the institutions under its regulatory control.

In response to a question, Dr Lehri said the problem began when the CPSP established a college in Lahore and the PMDC refused to register its students.

“Now we are considering whether to involve the higher education commissions, universities and other institutions to formulate rules and regulations which would be acceptable to all the stakeholders,” he said.

When contacted, CPSP’s director publications and media Nawaz Butt said he had not seen the court order.

“The court order will be discussed by the CPSP council, and then an appropriate step will be taken,” he added.

Published in Dawn February 17th, 2017