QUETTA : Selected medical students under the Punjab goodwill quota have raised alarm over a sudden policy change by the University of Health Sciences (UHS), which they allege is a grave injustice that will deprive deserving candidates from Balochistan’s backward divisions of their right to education.
Addressing a press conference at the Quetta Press Club on Wednesday, students Abdul Qadeer, Roshan Hafeez, and Muhammad Sharif stated that students securing top positions in the MDCAT from each division of Balochistan are granted admissions to medical colleges in Punjab. They explained that their selection was finalized after completing all stages, including document submission to Bolan Medical College and interviews, and they were merely awaiting joining dates.
“Now, a new policy is being issued to stop our admission and include us in the competition again, which is an injustice to our rights and is condemnable,” said the students, who have already approached the court. They have been waiting for a year after the final selection.
The students criticized UHS for abolishing the division-wise quota and enforcing an open merit system at the final stage. They argued this move would disproportionately benefit developed areas like Quetta Urban, Quetta Rural, and Loralai, while excluding deserving candidates from Kalat, Zhob, Sibi, Rakhshan, Makran, and other backward divisions.
“Snatching the rights of students from backward areas and giving them to developed areas is a painful blow,” they stated, holding Bolan Medical College fully responsible. They demanded the restoration of the final selection list, issuance of joining dates, reinstatement of the division-wise quota, and an end to delays for the 2024 candidates.
Meanwhile the Pakistan Coast Guards have arrested 123 illegal immigrants over the past two months from the border area of Jiwani in Balochistan. All apprehended individuals have been handed over to the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) for further legal proceedings.
