President’s Secretariat Refers Petition of 53 Foreign Medical Graduates to Ministry of National Health Services for Action
ISLAMABAD: The President’s Secretariat (Public), Aiwan-e-Sadr, Islamabad, has officially referred a petition filed by Dr. Mustafa Sana and 52 other doctors, including Dr. Muhammad Rafey Sher, to the Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations and Coordination (MoNHSRC) for necessary action under the law and rules.
The petition, received by the Public Wing of the President’s Secretariat and bearing Control No. 1914/2025, was forwarded through a formal memorandum signed by Muhammad Junaid Wazir, Director (EA & Petitions). The letter—titled “Redressal of Grievances”—encloses the complete list of 53 signatories and their contact details.
According to the document, the petitioners, all Foreign Medical Graduates (FMGs) from recognized international universities, have appealed to the President of Pakistan, Mr. Asif Ali Zardari, for enforcement of their Provisional Registration (PRMP) rights under the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council Act and the official gazette notification of January 2023.
In his attached representation, Dr. Muhammad Rafey Sher, elected representative of the FMG community and graduate of the International University of Kyrgyzstan, highlighted prolonged bureaucratic delays by the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) in issuing PRMP certificates, despite explicit legal provisions requiring issuance within fourteen days of verification.
The petition points to violations of Section 12 of the PMDC rules and inconsistencies in implementation of the Council’s own press release dated 14 September 2025, which recognized the eligibility of graduates from PMDC-approved foreign institutions for provisional registration prior to the National Licensing Examination (NRE).
Dr. Rafey Sher noted that thousands of young doctors were being deprived of their right to start house jobs due to closure of the PRMP portal, contradictory statements by PMDC officials, and daily policy shifts, causing nationwide distress among foreign-qualified medical graduates.
The petitioners urged the President to direct the PMDC and MoNHSRC to immediately enforce the law, resume PRMP issuance, and ensure that no graduate from a recognized foreign medical university loses a year of professional career due to administrative inaction.
The President’s Secretariat has now instructed the Secretary, Ministry of National Health Services, to take necessary action and provide a report after examining the matter in light of existing rules and the petition’s supporting documents.
This move marks the first formal referral of FMGs’ grievances to a federal ministry through the President’s Office, raising expectations among young doctors that the prolonged impasse over provisional registration will finally see resolution.
