LAHORE: The Fatima Jinnah Medical University (FJMU) students are bearing the brunt of alleged flaw in the varsity Act as the institute has once again been barred from conducting examinations of its undergraduates which were scheduled to be held this month.

Surprisingly, the FJMU has no provision in its Act for having a constituent medical college, a main requirement for registration with the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC).

The Council refused to register the FJMU and directed it to implement its rules in letter and spirit.

The issue surfaced again this year when the Council barred the FJMU from conducting examinations of the students on the same grounds. The col-lege had been awarded the status of university in July 2015 on the pattern of the King Edward Medial University (KEMU) that too is functioning without a constituent medical college.

At present, 1,500 students are enrolled in the FJMU for all sessions from first year to final year. As many as 300 students constitute one session.

The status of the FJMU after upgrade from college to varsity has landed the students and their parents in `trouble` by putting their future at risk. Many of them have come from various countries besides those belonging to all the provinces, Gilgit Baltistan and India-held Kashmir.

It is matter of grave concern that the institute could not even conduct first exams of its own medical students since it has been awarded status of varsity in July 2015. Last year, the `dispute` arose between the FJMU and thePMDC when the latter barred it from conducting exams.

The exams of the FJMU students were organised by the Punjab University despite the fact that the PMDC had de-notified it (PU) for being a non-medical varsity. The Lahore High Court had granted permission to the PU to hold exams in the best interest of the students.

The issue again surfaced this year when the PMDC turned down many requests of the FJMU to allow it to hold exams. Recently, the varsity through correspondence again apprised the Council that it had completed preparations to conduct firstyear exams in the first week of October but to no avail.

Similarly, the correspondence between the Punjab Health Department and the PMDC also failed to help reach any solution.