FMGs Accuse PMDC of Exam Fraud, Extortion, and Contempt of Court at National Press Club, Warn of Long March
Nadeem Tanoli
Islamabad: Foreign Medical Graduates delivered a blistering indictment of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council during a press conference at the National Press Club Islamabad, accusing the regulator and its president Dr. Rizwan Taj of systemic fraud, result manipulation in the National Registration Examination, financial extortion, retrospective policymaking, and defiance of court orders. The doctors warned that failure to address their demands within seven days would trigger a nationwide long march to PMDC headquarters.
Addressing reporters, Dr. Tahir Khan Sikandari, President of the Pakistan Foreign Doctor Medical Graduates, said the NRE 1 examination had been turned into what he called an “engineered failure.” He alleged that of roughly 7,300 candidates, internal data showed only around 200 legitimately passed, contradicting PMDC’s public claims of far higher success rates. He accused the council of withholding scorecards for weeks and refusing to provide carbon copies or answer keys, calling the process opaque and contrary to international testing standards.
Dr. Abdul Rehman Gujjar and Dr. Samar said they had documented anomalies showing candidates marked “Null” later declared pass, while others with high scores including 119 marks were recorded as failing. Dr. Samar alleged results were altered overnight after protest messages circulated, describing the process as “manipulation under pressure” rather than assessment on merit.
Financial misconduct allegations dominated the briefing. Dr. Waqas Akbar, representing graduates from Afghanistan, accused PMDC of demanding USD 10,000 to USD 20,000 from foreign universities under the pretext of “re evaluation” and recognition, branding it a money-making tactic. Dr. Asma and Dr. Gujjar criticized the Rs. 20,000 per candidate exam fee, arguing that candidates received substandard facilities and no accountability in return. Dr. Waqas further alleged PMDC misappropriated fees collected for Provisional Registration Medical Program applications by denying house jobs and falsely promising fee adjustments that never occurred.
Doctors also accused PMDC of illegal retrospective policymaking. Dr. Tahir Khan Sikandari and Dr. Waqas Akbar said new rules—such as limited attempts and the ECFMG recognition requirement were applied to students who enrolled or graduated under earlier frameworks. Dr. Waqas said graduates were barred from exams despite their universities being recognized by WHO and WFME, calling the policy discriminatory and unlawful.
Questions were raised over governance and competence. Dr. Adnan alleged a conflict of interest, saying Dr. Rizwan Taj simultaneously holds multiple influential positions PMDC President and Dean of PIMS and lacks the competence to run the council. Dr. Samar claimed officials could not adequately explain the Angoff Method they cite to justify mass failures. Dr. Adnan further accused PMDC of ignoring orders of superior courts, amounting to contempt of court, and alleged that dissent was suppressed after comments were disabled on PMDC’s official social media pages.
Speakers described discriminatory treatment of Foreign Medical Graduates, with Dr. Samar alleging FMGs are treated as “untouchables” despite having passed rigorous international examinations such as MRCP, USMLE, and PLAB, and despite serving during national health emergencies. The press conference concluded with an ultimatum: immediate transparency through release of answer keys and carbon copies, reduction of the passing threshold to 50 percent in line with international norms, transfer of exam conduct to an independent body, and restoration of provisional registration to allow graduates to begin house jobs.
Warning of escalation, Dr. Tahir Khan Sikandari said thousands of doctors were prepared to march if the council failed to act, framing the confrontation as a fight for merit, legality, and dignity in Pakistan’s medical licensing system.
After the press conference by Foreign Medical Graduates, PM&DC issued a press release stating that the National University of Medical Sciences independently conducts the National Registration Examination under approved standards with transparent evaluation and a 60 percent passing criterion, while PM&DC has no role in paper setting or result preparation. The regulator said the examination process is fair and non-discriminatory, and rejected all allegations of irregularities.
Read in Urdu: ایف ایم جیز کا نیشنل پریس کلب میں پی ایم ڈی سی پر امتحانی دھاندلی، بھتہ خوری اور توہینِ عدالت کے الزامات، لانگ مارچ کی وارننگ
Copied From: FMGs allege PMDC exam fraud and extortion, threaten nationwide long march
