A major Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC) financial blunder amounting to Rs200 million has come to light, prompting the council to deliberate ways of recovering the funds from universities. According to officials, the matter will be forwarded to the Postgraduate Medical Education Committee (PMEC) for review and further action.
The issue surfaced in August 2025 when a Karachi-based university sought approval to register 20 postgraduate programmes. Deputy Registrar Dr Habibullah pointed out that the university had not paid the Comprehensive Inspection Fee (CIF) of Rs800,000 for each course. Although he wrote to the university demanding payment, discussions later revealed that PM&DC had not been charging this fee for the past two years.
A senior council official stated that nearly 20 universities managed to get their postgraduate courses recognised without paying the CIF. This oversight has led to an estimated loss exceeding Rs200 million. Dr Habibullah also raised the matter with PM&DC Registrar Dr Wali Khan, who confirmed in writing that the CIF was mandatory under council regulations.
Under the PM&DC Postgraduate Regulations 2023, universities are required to pay Rs300,000 as secretariat charges, Rs800,000 as CIF, Rs100,000 as an application fee, and Rs150,000 as inspector charges per course. While the other fees were collected, the CIF remained uncharged during the tenure of at least three registrars.
PM&DC not only oversees medical and dental colleges but also accredits postgraduate programmes under the PM&DC Act. Officials noted that numerous postgraduate institutes were accredited without paying the mandatory CIF, raising questions about oversight and accountability.
A senior official stressed that the council is committed to addressing the PM&DC financial blunder and ensuring recovery of the entire amount. He added that the issue may be referred to PMEC for detailed investigation, assuring that all dues will be collected and deposited into the council’s account.