The Islamabad High Court has issued a notice to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) over a petition challenging the sudden changes in the MDCAT (Medical and Dental College Admission Test) registration policy.

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition filed against the abrupt changes in the MDCAT examination and admission registration procedures. During the hearing, the court instructed the petitioner’s lawyer, Raja Rizwan Abbasi, representing medical students, to submit written arguments.

The court observed that the matter primarily falls under provincial jurisdiction, as most educational powers have been devolved to the provinces following the 18th Constitutional Amendment. Justice Tahir remarked that each province can formulate its own policy, and the positions of Sindh or other provinces may differ. He also noted that individual colleges face their own registration issues, which cannot be ignored.

Raja Rizwan Abbasi argued that the new policy has created difficulties for students who passed the exam last year because the registration procedures and authorities were suddenly changed. He claimed that transferring authority from PMDC to colleges was against regulations and that PMDC should retain the power to decide on examinations and registrations.