KARACHI: Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) on Friday called on the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to conduct a detailed audit of the Rs1.26 billion collected for MDCAT 2026, raising concerns over alleged irregularities, mismanagement and lack of transparency in the examination and its results.
In a letter to PMDC President Prof Dr Rizwan Taj, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar demanded a thorough audit of the fee collection and a transparent review of the examination process. He also called for handing over question papers to candidates for self-assessment and transparency, and retesting the top 100 candidates through an independent and impartial third party.
He further urged the PMDC to increase the number of examination centres in Karachi in future in proportion to the number of candidates and the city’s geographical spread to spare students and their parents’ unnecessary hardship. He also demanded the publication of a complete account of the fees collected in the name of the examination.
The letter said serious questions had been raised about mismanagement during the MDCAT held on Sept 20, 2026, and the transparency of its results. It called for an independent and transparent review of examination arrangements, paper setting and distribution, the conduct of the test, answer keys and the possibility of result tampering.
According to the letter, a total of 138,158 candidates registered for the examination across the country, including 33,336 from Sindh and 9,505 from Karachi. However, only two examination centres were set up in Karachi, both on University Road.
The letter said the arrangement caused severe hardship to students and their families, as the road had faced traffic congestion for several years because of the construction of the BRT Red Line project. Candidates from far-flung areas of the city were also required to reach the same two centres for the examination.
In contrast, 19 centres were established for 16,722 candidates in Peshawar, while six centres were set up for 12,064 candidates in Lahore, the letter pointed out. It also questioned the decision to assign responsibility for conducting the examination in Sindh to IBA Sukkur. According to the letter, various objections and complaints regarding the institution had surfaced in the past, while questions had also been raised about its role in certain institutional examinations held under the Sindh government.
Entrusting an examination that determines admission to medical colleges and the future of thousands of students to IBA Sukkur raised serious questions, it added. Highlighting specific concerns, Monem Zafar said that, unlike previous practice, instructions were issued just 10 days before the examination to collect question papers back from candidates after the test. This departure from past practice raised concerns about how possible tampering with the results could be prevented, he said.
He added that serious objections and complaints had also emerged over the answer keys for Biology, Chemistry and Physics, particularly those for Paper Codes “A” and “D”. Concerns about possible tampering with the results also needed to be addressed through a fair and transparent process, he said.
The letter said the PMDC had collected around Rs1,263 million, or Rs1.26 billion, for conducting the examination. Candidates seeking admission to medical colleges across the country appeared in the MDCAT on Sept 20, 2026. The general registration fee was Rs9,000 per candidate, while those registering late were charged Rs13,000.
Questioning the justification for collecting such a large amount in the name of examination expenses, the letter asked whether the PMDC would make public a complete and transparent account of the money received. The letter also raised concerns about the long waiting hours and inadequate facilities provided to candidates on examination day. Although students had been asked to report at 6:30am, the three-hour paper began at 10:00am at some centres and 10:30am at others.
Keeping students seated for seven to eight hours in severe heat, in some cases under cloth marquees with limited facilities and only a few decorative fans, was highly inappropriate and regrettable, the letter said. Temperatures at the time ranged from 40 to 43 degrees Celsius, it added, describing the treatment of students as unacceptable for those who represented the nation’s future.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2026