LHC Declares PMDC's MDCAT Question Paper Retrieval Policy Illegal

What happened

The Lahore High Court (LHC) Rawalpindi bench has declared the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC) policy of retrieving Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) question papers from candidates illegal and unconstitutional [1, 2]. Justice Ahsan Raza Kazmi announced the verdict on Friday, October 16, 2026 [2, 3].

The ruling follows petitions filed by students Rehan Shahid and Anabia Tahir [1, 2, 3]. Their counsel, Barrister Imran Afrasiab, argued that candidates have a legal and constitutional right to retain question papers after completing an examination, noting that this is standard practice in schools, colleges, and universities worldwide [1, 2]. He stated that the PMDC unilaterally introduced this policy this year, requiring students to return papers along with their answer sheets immediately after the test [1].

During the proceedings, Assistant Attorney General Malik Zaheer Arshad, representing the federal government, partially supported the petitioners’ position [1, 2, 3]. The PMDC’s lawyer defended the council’s decision and requested the court to dismiss the petitions [1].

In its decision, the court ruled that the PMDC cannot distribute question papers and then forcibly collect them back [2, 3]. Justice Kazmi directed the PMDC to upload question papers from all examinations to its official application without delay so that candidates can access and review them [1, 2, 3]. The court ordered the immediate implementation of this decision on the same day [1, 2, 3].

In a separate matter, the LHC has extended an interim order preventing all medical colleges in Punjab from expelling Afghan medical students [1]. This follows a PMDC notification dated September 1, which ordered Punjab medical colleges to ask Afghan students to complete formalities for returning to Afghanistan and suspended future admissions, transfers, and migrations for Afghan nationals [1]. Justice Khalid Ishaq heard petitions from more than 30 Afghan students who stated they secured admission to medical colleges on merit under the Afghan refugees’ quota [1]. The court accepted a request for an adjournment from the PMDC’s counsel and postponed further proceedings while maintaining the interim relief [1].