LAHORE - The Lahore High Court on Thursday sought replies from Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra), Maryam Nawaz, and her father Nawaz Sharif, in a petition seeking contempt proceedings over remarks against the judiciary.

Justice Shahid Karim was hearing the petition moved by Amina Malik of Civil Society Network. The petitioner also moved an application against Maryam over her alleged tweets against the judiciary.

Azhar Siddique, her counsel, contended that Maryam and her father Nawaz Sharif had been attacking the judiciary through their contemptuous language since the day their trial started in accountability court.  The hearing adjourned until Dec 20.

Judgment on admission

policy reserved

The Lahore High Court on Thursday reserved judgment on petitions challenging central admission policy.

A division bench, headed by Justice Ayesha A Malik and Justice Jawad Hassan heard the petitions moved by students and Young Doctors Association.

The bench, however, barred the colleges from selling prospectus, receiving fee and displaying merit lists. After hearing both sides, the bench reserved the judgment which will be announced on Thursday (Dec 07).

During the proceedings, Advocate Ijaz Ahmad Awan representing the students submitted that the last date was announced by the medical colleges for admission to MBBS.

University of Health Sciences (UHS) has also sought applications, the counsel said. He said the students are worried as to where they have to apply for admission.

The counsel of private colleges told the court that Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has barred them from new admission while the rules made for admission had not been presented to the Council of Common Interest for debate on these rules. 

The students have been approaching them for admission while their parents daily ask about admission policy, the counsel said. The public medical colleges cannot accommodate all medical students; he said pleading that, therefore, the private colleges be allowed to give admissions.

Advocate Noshab A Khan who was representing PMDC said that the existing laws have been implemented and all private and public colleges are bound to comply with the laws of the PMDC.

According to the law, he said, private medical colleges are not allowed to sell their prospectus but it is very awful that the private medical colleges are involved in offering admission to the students which is illegal and unjustifiable. Such attitude of private colleges is ruining medical education and depriving many eligible students from getting admission, the counsel said.

It was the reason that central induction policy was introduced under which UHS was given powers to allow colleges for admission in medical colleges, he said. Mr. Khan also submitted that the UHS offered merit-based admission in 34 medical colleges and fixed 15 per cent quota for overseas Pakistanis. He asked the court to bar the private medical colleges from offering admission in MBBS.