KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday ordered the deputy attorney-general (DAG) to give arguments on the legal status of the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC).

The order came on the petitions filed by medical universities and students of these universities with regard to Section 18 of the PMC Act, 2020, under which a national medical university was constituted to conduct medical and dental colleges and universities' admission tests anywhere in the country.

Justice Muhammad Ali Mazhar, heading the division bench of the SHC which is hearing the petitions, stated that it was easy when the provinces were taking the examinations themselves.

He said that problems are being created for students of medical and dental colleges and universities as it is an issue of 30,000 students.

"Law should be framed that would facilitate the students," he said and observed that they would be confused and how would they prepare themselves for examinations in the face of such complications.

The counsel for the PMC complained about non-cooperation on part of Sindh, at which the court inquired whether the province would have any role or all the forms coming to 250,000 in the entire country would be managed by the PMC.

The court observed that this issue should be resolved, and it would hear the arguments on the legal status of the PMC.

The counsel for the students submitted that complications would be created for the students if the PMC was not restrained from conducting the entry tests.

The counsel for the National Testing Services (NTS) requested the court that the NTS should be heard as it incurred the expenses on holding of the tests. The court ordered making of the NTS a party in all the petitions.

The bench also directed the petitioners to submit their reply in the light of the statement of the PMC and ordered the DAG to give the arguments on the legal status of the PMC in the next hearing on October 28, 2020.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2020