NA Committee Guides PMC to Notify Increase FATA Students’ Quota in Medical Colleges

The Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions of the National Assembly has requested that the Pakistan Medical Commission announce an increase in medical seats for former FATA students in medical colleges. It has called a meeting with the Chairman of the Pakistan Medical Commission and urged that provinces take MDCAT as part of their curriculum.

Under the presidency of Sajid Khan, the National Assembly Standing Committee on State and Frontier Regions met at Parliament House on Friday. Committee members Jamaluddin, Gul Dad Khan, Afzal Khokhar, Saleh Muhammad, Shah Zain Bugti were in attendance.

The committee voiced concern with President Pakistan Medical Commission for failing to attend committee meetings.

PMC officials told the Committee that work is being done on the increased quota for former FATA students. we need to assess the facilities before increasing the quota. The Chairman of the Committee questioned as to why the president was absent from the meeting.

The Chairman of the Committee requested that the Secretary SAFRON keep the committee updated on the situation. Secretary SAFRON also informed the committee that the number of medical seats in the former FATA has increased to 36. MNA Jamaluddin stated that tribal people still do not have homes, are living in dilapidated conditions as a result of military operations and terrorism and have no resources to get our youth a better future. He advocated for the students and asked to give FATA students their due right of admission to medical and engineering colleges.

The Committee voiced dissatisfaction with the Pakistan Medical Commission's National Medical and Dental College Admission Test (NMDCAT) and advised that each province be allowed to conduct these tests according to their own syllabus.

Officials informed the committee that FATA students are not being admitted to the universities on FATA quota even though the students are on merit the committee summoned the heads of Agricultural University Faisalabad and Engineering University Punjab at the next meeting due to their objections that they had not passed the university entry test.