Lahore High Court Upholds PMDC Fee Cap, Orders Private Medical Colleges to Refund Excess Charges

The Lahore High Court has upheld the fee cap set by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for private medical colleges, dismissing petitions that challenged the council's authority to regulate tuition charges. Justice Khalid Ishaq issued the 28-page ruling, which legal experts describe as a significant precedent for medical education regulation in the country.

The court held that the PMDC is empowered to determine fees for medical colleges and that private institutions cannot charge students without the council's approval. It further ruled that the fee cap does not conflict with the Constitution, noting that medical education should not be treated purely as a commercial enterprise.

The petitions were originally filed by the University of Faisalabad and others. The court observed that the colleges had previously approached the PMDC themselves and therefore could not later challenge the fee restrictions. Accepting separate petitions filed by students, the court directed the institutions to refund excess fees within 30 working days.

Under the ruling, the medical college of the University of Faisalabad must return more than Rs. 841,000 to each affected student, while FMH College Lahore must refund more than Rs. 741,000 per student. The judgment also warned that any retaliatory action against students could result in contempt of court proceedings.

The decision is expected to provide relief to medical students and their families who have faced rising costs at private institutions, and it reinforces the regulatory role of the PMDC in overseeing admissions and fee structures across the country's medical colleges.