LHC orders private medical colleges to return additional fee to students

LAHORE
Lahore High Court (LHC) while giving full legal powers to Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) for determining tuition fee of private medical colleges, approval, amendment and fixation of maximum limit has ordered to return or adjust the additional fee received from the students.
Justice Khalid Ishaq of LHC issued 28 pages written decision on the constitutional petitions filed by the university of Faisalabad and other institutions.
The court rejected three petitions of private medical colleges challenging the PMDC notifications April 28, 2025, October 6, 2025 and March 11, 2026.
The court approved 12 constitutional petitions filed by the students. The court maintained in the written order PMDC wields legal powers for reviewing fees of private medical and dental colleges, according approval, amending and fixing appropriate limit under section 20 of PMDC act-2022.
According to court it is necessary to read coherently sub clauses 7 and 8 of section 20 of the law and not separately.
It is mandatory for the educational institutions to provide proposed fee structure, financial declarations and justification for increasing fee to PMDC while determining and announcing fee so that council could curb unjust fee,
Justice Khalid Ishaq maintained in the decision that fixing the maximum limit of fee by PMDC is included in its legal powers. However it is necessary to keep in view real financial expenses , standard of education and individual financial position of educational institutions while fixing fee.
The state can impose appropriate restrictions for public interest, safety of students and maintenance of education standard.
Private medical colleges cannot receive unjust fee from students on the basis of constitutional freedom.