IHC orders SZABIST to retake MDCAT exam within a month

Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday ordered Shaheed Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto Medical University to conduct a new MDCAT entrance examination in the wake of controversies.

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir issued the order following a petition that highlighted discrepancies in the original exam, including questions that were found to be outside the approved syllabus, as reported by the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC).

The court has mandated that the retake be organized within one month. This decision follows a similar ruling from the Sindh High Court, which had also called for a retake of the MDCAT exam within four weeks.

In the verdict, the judge stressed maintaining the integrity of the testing process for MBBS admissions. In previous hearings, Justice Salahuddin Panhwar raised critical questions about the influence of powerful individuals on the examination process and expressed concern over the high fee of 8,000 rupees per candidate, arguing that it poses a financial burden on less privileged students.

This development marks a significant step in addressing the irregularities in medical entrance examinations in Pakistan, ensuring fair access for all aspiring medical students.