The parents of six students on Wednesday moved a petition in the Lahore High Court challenging the provision of an entry test for admission in medical colleges of Punjab. The petitioners are Mohammad Zubair, Maqsood Ahmed Qureshi, Shagufta Mubeen, Robina Iqbal, Javaid Iqbal and Muhammad Khurshid. The petitioners’ counsel Muhammad Azhar Siddique stated that now the only basis for admission into medical colleges was an entry test and that their struggle and hard work in colleges for two years was not being considered as valid grounds for admission.
He added that 50 percent weightage was being given to the entry test (MCAT), which consisted of a paper of two and half hours that had an objective approach rather than one that was more subjective or practical. He also alleged that there was no check and balance for MCAT being conducted by the .
He stated that it was the constitutional responsibility of the state to provide equal facilities of education to every citizen. He alleged that thousands of students were being deprived of their fundamental right to obtain education in universities and colleges.
The counsel also alleged that the entry test method was not transparent and that large-scale violation of merit was being witnessed in the biased education system imposed in the country. The counsel requested that directives be issued ending the entry test for admission in universities and collages so that equal opportunities of education could be provided to the youth in accordance with the constitution.
LHC postpones hearing of case on Article 10(1): Lahore High Court Chief Justice Ijaz Ahmad Chaudhry postponed the hearing of a petition seeking enforcement of Article 10(1) of the constitution which requires that no investigation or inquiry be held without the presence of the accused’s lawyer and that no person be denied his fundamental right to consult and be defended by a lawyer of his choice soon after the arrest.
The chief justice postponed the hearing till October 18 with direction to the Punjab government to file a reply by the next hearing. The chief justice, on September 15, had sought replies from the federal and Punjab governments. On Wednesday, a reply on behalf of the Punjab government was not submitted.
A deputy attorney general said that the federal government had no objection over the implementation of this law. He said that the federal agencies of the National Accountability Bureau and Federal Investigating Agency only lodged cases after preliminary investigation.
A local citizen, Abdul Wahid, filed this petition. The petitioner’s counsel AK Dogar submitted that the legislatures had imposed certain restriction through this article to protect the people. He submitted that if this article was enforced, not only would the citizens of this country become safe at the hands of police, but corruption would also be discouraged.