PMA slams Punjab’s 3-year medical admission policy, terms it unjust to fresh candidates

The Pakistan Medical Association (PMA) has strongly criticized the Punjab government’s recent 2025–26 admission policy for medical colleges, calling it unfair and discriminatory towards fresh students who appeared in the 2025 entry test, 24NewsHD TV reported.

Addressing a joint press conference in Lahore on Friday, PMA leaders, including Dr Izhar Ahmad Chaudhry (President PMA Centre), Dr Kamran Saeed (President PMA Punjab), Dr Malik Muhammad Aleem Nawaz (Joint Secretary PMA Centre), and Profr Dr Shahid Malik (President PMA Lahore), said that the decision to declare candidates from 2023 and 2024 eligible for 2025 admissions amounts to a serious injustice.

They noted that by placing the responsibility on the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC), the Punjab government has ignored the rights of fresh and deserving students.

“No country in the world allows acceptance of entry tests for three consecutive years,” the speakers emphasized.

They cited Sindh’s policy as an example, where admissions are granted solely on the basis of the current year’s entry test.

The PMA representatives further pointed out that institutions such as NUST, Aga Khan University, Punjab University, Government College University, and UET also conduct annual entry tests, ensuring fair competition every year.

Highlighting data released by the University of Health Sciences (UHS), they revealed that in the 2024 test (200 questions), 2,750 candidates scored between 190 and 200 marks, while in the 2025 test (180 questions), only 817 students managed to score between 170 and 180 marks.

 “This shows a significant drop in scores and makes it clear that 2025 candidates will lose their rightful seats to those who have already availed their chance in previous years,” the PMA stated.

The association warned that allowing previous-year candidates to reapply could cause “a merit tsunami,” as students with high 2024 scores might seek admission again for better institutions or cities, leaving many 2025 seats vacant and destabilizing the entire merit system.

PMA leaders demanded that the Punjab government immediately withdraw the multi-year eligibility clause and adopt an admission policy similar to Sindh, NUST, and Aga Khan University, restricting eligibility to candidates who appeared in the 2025 entry test only.

Those present at the press conference included Dr. Izhar Ahmad Chaudhry, Dr. Kamran Saeed, Dr. Malik Muhammad Aleem Nawaz, Dr. Kamran Ahmad, Dr. Nader Khan, Professor Dr. Shahid Malik, Dr. Riaz Zulqarnain Aslam, Dr. Wajid Ali, Professor Dr. Waseem Subhani (representative of affected parents), and Talha (representative of affected students).

The speakers urged the government and the health department to take immediate notice of the situation and protect the rights of fresh and deserving students across Punjab.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
  
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