LHC issues notices on equivalence certificates issued for admission in medical college

LAHORE: The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought replies from the federal government, University of Health Sciences, Inter-Board Committee of Chairmen and the Ministry of Education on a petition challenging the IBCC’s formula for issuance of equivalence certificate for admission in medical colleges.

The orders were issued by LHC’s Justice Shams Mehmood Mirza while hearing the petition filed by student Muhammad Salman.

Advocate Noshab A Khan, who represented Salman, argued that the petitioner had obtained A+ grades in O level and A levels. He topped in Physics all over Pakistan and secured 177 marks out of 210 in the medical entry test. He said the petitioner passed the entrance test in the National University of Medical Sciences and Aga Khan University with high marks.

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The lawyer told the judge that the IBCC has set a limit of 93 per cent marks under the equivalency formula. The number of seats in Punjab is 3,500 for A-level students, including the petitioner, who will be denied admission due to the 93 per cent restriction.

He pointed out that the FSc students’ grabbed seats in all the medical colleges because all boards granted 100 per cent marks to many students.

The petitioner requested the court to set aside the equivalence formula of IBCC as it was unjustified.

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It was further requested that till the final decision of the case, UHS should be restrained from issuing the initial merit list of medical admissions. The list is set to be issued on December 3.

The court, however, declined his plea to issue a restraining order against the merit list and instead sought replies from the respondents.