IHC bars private medical college from charging students excessive fees

In an important judgement, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Thursday barred a private medical college from receiving more than Rs1.8 million in annual fees from its students until the next hearing, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

The court also issued notices to the federal government, the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) and the college administration and sought their replies.

Justice Arbab Muhammad Tahir heard the petition filed by a private medical college student, Yumna Yasir.

Speaking on the occasion, the petitioner’s lawyer said that his client was an MBBS student and was in her second year.

The PMDC, he informed, had laid it down that the annual fee would not exceed Rs1.8 million. “However, the medical college in which Yumna is studying is receiving over Rs2.4 million from her as well as other students annually,” the lawyer elaborated.

He argued that an increase in the fee constituted a violation of the PMDC Act, 2022.

He told the court that despite the fact that an application was submitted to the college administration for a reduction in the fee, no action was taken.

He alleged that the administration, on the other hand, had resorted to threatening his client that she would not be allowed to appear in the final examination if she pursued the case in court.

The lawyer prayed to the court to not only declare collecting excessive fees from medical students illegal, but also bar the college administrations from stopping the students, protesting against hike in fees, from sitting in exams.

Later the court adjourned the hearing.

Reporter: Ihtesham Kiani