ISLAMABAD: The dividends of Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) started bearing fruits, as the Pakistan Medical Commission (PMC) has issued notification pertaining to doubling the quota for students of the erstwhile Federal Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) in medical and dental colleges in line with the federal cabinet decision back in 2017.
The Senate Standing Committee on States and Frontier Regions in its meeting on November 18, 2019, discussed doubling the quota for students from the former Federally Administered Tribal Areas in various universities and colleges according to a March 2017 cabinet decision.
The committee also directed medical colleges to give the PMC proposals to increase the number of seats for these students.
Additional seats were allocated for students from Fata in 2017, but the then Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) argued that medical and dental colleges only have a certain number of seats according to provincial quotas and it would not be possible to increase seats just for students from the tribal districts.
However, the PMDC was dissolved through a presidential ordinance last month and replaced by the nine-member PMC, which notified the increase of quota as per the federal cabinet decision made in its meeting held on March 2, 2017, under the chairmanship of the former prime minister Nawaz Sharif.
A notification a copy of which is available with Pakistan Today addressed to Khaber Medical University Vice-Chancellor reads, “This is with reference to your application dated 13th December 2019 on the subject providing a proposed beak-down of the additional seats in the public colleagues affiliated with KMU for purposes of accommodating the additional 136 seats under the FATA Quota.”
“Having reviewed the same, one time approval is hereby granted for the following additional seats over and above the allocated strength of the named colleges for 2020 season,” it added.
According to the notification a total of 120 for MBBS seats have been increased of which 50 seats would be in Khyber Girls Medical College; Kohat Institute of Medical Sciences 10; Bannu Medical College 10; Gomal Medical College 15; Bacha Khan Medical College, Mardan 05; Nowshera Medical Complex 10; Gajju Khan Medical College, Swabi 10 and Saidu Medical College, Swat would have to accommodate 10 students.
Similarly, a total of 16 seats have been increased for BDS of which five would be in Khyber College of Dentistry; three in Ayub Dental Section, three in Bacha Khan Dental Section and five seats would be allocated for FATA medical students in Kohat Institute of Dental Sciences.
The notification reads, in respect of the increase in 50 seats in Khyber Medical College, Peshawar, the increase sought is approved in view of the fact that the said college secured an A+ rating in the 2019 national inspection and therefore, the permission shall be subject to the Khyber Girls Medical College applying to the Commission and the HEC for enhancement of its allocated seats by 50 seats within three months hereof and obtaining such enchantment post due inspection.
