LHC Issues Notics to UHS

LAHORE:November 22: The Lahore High Court on Monday issued notice for December 9, to University of Health Sciences (UHS) on a civil miscellaneous application seeking permission to implead UHS in a pending petition challenging establishment of four unrecognized medical colleges in the province.LHC Chief Justice Sh. Azmat Saeed issued notice on a application filed by the petitioner-counsel Noshab A Khan. The counsel submitted that the UHS had dropped names of 400 candidates from the merit list for admission to government institutions for the 2011-12 session as the medical colleges set up in Sialkot, Gujranwala, Sahiwal and DG Khan had yet to be recognised by the Pakistan medical and Dental Council (PMDC).”The rift between the Punjab Government and the PMDC over recognition of these colleges has so far put the future of students at stake,” he said. He said that public and private medical colleges were bound to finalise their admission process before November 30, according to PMDC rules.But admission and registration matters of students of these colleges have worsened because of delay in completion of procedural formalities by the respondents, he said.He said that the situation further worsened after the UHS refusal to get the students registered, who were already taking classes in said colleges for last one year, with the PMDC. He requested the court to allow to implead the UHS in the case. The CJ after hearing the arguments issued notice to the UHS for December 9 and also issued notice to Punjab government and others on main petition.The petitioner submitted in his petition that the Punjab government inaugurated four medical colleges without recognition of the PMDC for validation of Medical Qualifications. He submitted that the government remained oblivious despite students’ genuine concerns over not seeking recognition by the PMDC of these colleges.He said the precious academic year of the students was at stake and if the government was not restrained to stop this illegitimate activity, the students were bound to suffer grave and irreparable loss.APP.