- Students upset over the PMC’s policies say MDCAT was out of course.
- Students say “these people are not eligible to run PMC”
- Protests are going on in Peshawar, Hyderabad, Lahore, and Karachi.
- Demonstrations against alleged “irregularities” and unfairness in MDCAT 2020 exams
- Students call upon federal, provincial govts to take notice
Students of medicine, including MDCAT aspirants, staged protests on Sunday across multiple cities, alleging “irregularities” and unfairness at the hands of the country’s medical practitioners’ regulatory authority, as well as slamming its policies.
Furthermore, the protests intensified and anger grew when Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood said his ministry had “nothing to do” with either Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) or the MDCAT.
Eventually, hundreds of students took to the streets in Peshawar, Hyderabad, and Karachi, among other cities, with those in Lahore staging a sit-in outside the Punjab governor house, demanding Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar meet them.
Dharna going at Governor Punjab House Lahore.#ProtestAgainstPMC pic.twitter.com/LJcMNyA3BS
— Doctors Wake-Up Movement🚩 (@DWMOfficial) December 20, 2020
Good to see that medical aspirants are trying to make their voice heard for better. Now, if they don’t succeed in this cause, it’s not on them. All one can do is try to be better, do better. It’ll be on the government and the private mafia the government is protecting. https://t.co/MaEIhVVACd
— Arsim Tariq (@ArsimTariq) December 20, 2020
Meanwhile the Governor also in high spirits.. #ProtestAgainstPMC https://t.co/biKu9or52x pic.twitter.com/qb8VMMKWyr
— Haider Kaleem (@HaiderKaleemB) December 20, 2020
“These people are not eligible to run PMC,” said one student on Twitter.
Khuda ka wasta hai PM sahab ab toh notice le len kuch @ImranKhanPTI @pmc_org These people are not eligible to run PMC Save the future of Medical students / future doctors we request you 🙏#ProtestAgainstPMC #SaveOurFuture https://t.co/yXQef4OY6V
— Waniya Zia (@waniyazia1) December 20, 2020
“Save the future of Medical students / future doctors we request you,” they added. While another said the MDCAT 2020 transparency “also challenged as some students not given grace marks while others were”.
PMC has done injustice with students by not giving them carbon paper after test. The transparency of paper is also challenged as some students were not given grace marks while others were @Arslan062000 @ArsalanSharif76 @geonews_urdu @SAMAATV @ExpressNewsPK #ProtestAgainstPMC
— Muzαɱɱเℓ Shafiq🇵🇰🇵🇸 (@muzammilshafiq0) December 20, 2020
Hyderabad
On the other hand, in Hyderabad, those who appeared for MDCAT accused the Pakistan Medical Council (PMC) which organizes the test — of issuing controversial results.
The protesting students chanted slogans at Hyderabad Press Club (HPC) against the alleged discrepancies in MDCAT 2020 conducted by the PMC a few days ago. However, they also called upon the federal and provincial governments to take notice of the matter.
Education ministry ‘has nothing to do with either’
Tensions among the upset students flared up further when Education Minister Shafqat Mahmood distanced his ministry from the initiatives after receiving “a lot of calls and mail on this issue”.
“Let me clarify as clearly as possible. PMC or MDCAT etc are all initiatives of the Ministry of Health,” Mahmood said on Twitter.
I have been getting a lot of calls and mail on this issue. Let me clarify as clearly as possible. PMC or MDCAT etc are all initiatives of the Ministry of Health. I think they r good initiatives but Ministry of Education has nothing to do with either. https://t.co/qI69iZet2o
— Shafqat Mahmood (@Shafqat_Mahmood) December 20, 2020
“I think they are good initiatives but the Ministry of Education has nothing to do with either.”
“What a great Riyasat-e-Madina we live in @ImranKhanPTI where the education minister is not responsible for education-related issues,” however, one of the protesters wrote on Twitter in response.
“I still wonder why such [an] unexperienced commission is imposed on medical students,” said another.
“They did everything to ruin the future of medical students.”
How to get exam rechecked
Furthermore, separately, the Twitter account ‘Protest Against PMC’ shared information on how to get exam sheets rechecked.
“Let your friends know too. […] It is free of cost,” they wrote.