The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has sought an explanation from the Sindh government over concerns of a possible conflict of interest in the selection of the university nominated to conduct the Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2026 in the province.
In an official letter addressed to the Sindh health secretary, the PMDC registrar referred to media reports that raised questions about the process through which the admitting and test-conducting university for MDCAT 2026 was selected in Sindh.
The letter noted that reports circulating in the media had highlighted concerns regarding the possibility of a conflict of interest in the selection process and requested the provincial government to furnish its comments and views on the matter so that the council could proceed further.
Describing MDCAT as a highly sensitive and high-stakes examination, the PMDC emphasised that the institution entrusted with conducting the test must be free from any perception of bias or conflict of interest.
The council further stated that Sindh had several prestigious universities capable of conducting the examination and that the nomination process must ensure complete transparency, impartiality and fairness. It added that any possibility of a conflict of interest should be eliminated to maintain public confidence in the examination process.
The development follows a report first published by Jang and The News, which disclosed that the vice chancellor of Sukkur IBA University, Dr Asif Sheikh, had months earlier advised the Sindh government that the MDCAT examination should be assigned to another institution because his daughter was expected to appear in this year’s test. According to the report, he had suggested that the examination be conducted by another university to avoid any perception of a conflict of interest.
The report subsequently triggered debate in academic and medical education circles over whether Sukkur IBA University, which was later nominated to conduct MDCAT 2026 in Sindh, could effectively avoid concerns regarding impartiality during the examination process.
Against this backdrop, the PMDC formally took notice of the issue and sought the Sindh government’s position. Sources told that despite the passage of several days, Sindh Health Secretary Tahir Sangi had yet to respond to the PMDC’s letter. Efforts by this correspondent to obtain his version reportedly remained unsuccessful.
The issue has assumed added significance because the Sindh health portfolio is held by Health Minister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, sister of President Asif Ali Zardari. The MDCAT serves as the mandatory entrance examination for admissions to medical and dental colleges across Pakistan, making transparency and credibility in its conduct a matter of considerable public importance.
