LAHORE: The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s (PMDC) steep rise in registration fees has sparked outrage among students, with Islami Jamiat e Talaba (IJT) Pakistan condemning the move as a direct assault on the right to education.
According to IJT Central President Hassan Bilal Hashmi, the registration fee — previously Rs. 6,000 in 2022 and 2023 — was increased by 33% to Rs. 8,000 in 2024 and has now reached Rs. 9,000 in 2025. Prior to 2022, the fee ranged between Rs. 500 and Rs. 1,500.
Hashmi said the sharp hike will deprive students from lower- and middle-income families of the opportunity to pursue medical education, effectively turning it into a privilege for the wealthy. “PMDC, instead of functioning as a public welfare body, is now acting like a profit-seeking corporation,” he stated, warning that IJT outrightly rejects the decision and demands its immediate reversal.
He further cautioned that if the decision is not withdrawn, nationwide protests will be launched to defend students’ right to education, calling the policy anti-student and harmful to Pakistan’s progress.
