PAAM opposes DRAP’s proposed alternative medicine rules 2026

ISLAMABAD: A proposal to reduce the passing threshold for medical college admissions to 50 percent has emerged amid concerns over vacant seats despite efforts to lower merit requirements. The matter was discussed during a meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on National Health Services, chaired by MNA Mahesh Kumar. The committee also examined complaints alleging that some medical colleges were charging fees above the permitted limit. Committee Chairman Mahesh Kumar said medical colleges are allowed to charge annual fees of up to Rs1.8 million. He directed officials to provide details of institutions allegedly collecting higher fees from students. The chairman also questioned why seats were still remaining vacant after merit requirements had already been relaxed. He suggested that the passing marks could be set at 50 percent and that the proportion of difficult questions in the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council’s entrance examination could also be reviewed. Federal Health Minister said 61 medical colleges had applied for permission to increase their fees. However, he clarified that colleges cannot raise fees independently and that only 35 of the 61 institutions had fulfilled the required conditions for a fee increase. Colleges failing to meet the prescribed criteria would not be permitted to charge higher fees. The President of the PMDC informed the committee that notices had been issued to medical colleges against which complaints of excessive fee collection had been received. Committee member Mustafa Kamal said vacant seats were also a concern for the authorities, but argued that high fees alone could not explain the situation. He pointed out that colleges charging around Rs3.5 million had not faced vacant seats, suggesting that other factors may also be contributing to the problem. The PMDC president further informed the committee that 468 additional seats had been approved for government medical colleges in Punjab, while 315 seats had been added for students from the former FATA region. When the committee chairman asked about an increase in medical seats in Sindh, the PMDC president said no additional seats had been allocated because the province had not submitted an application for an increase.

MUZAFFARABAD: Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) Police have alleged that the banned Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC) is pursuing a coordinated agenda to disrupt peace and destabilise the region, claiming recent clashes with security forces demonstrate that the group has transformed into an armed organisation. Addressing a press conference in Rawalakot, AJK Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khawar Ali Shaukat said the violence of the past two days contradicted claims circulating on social media that the movement was peaceful. He alleged that armed individuals occupied buildings, established fortified positions and opened fire on police and security personnel using automatic and sophisticated weapons. According to the police, law enforcement personnel had been deployed across various parts of Rawalakot to maintain public order when they came under attack. Shaukat said authorities had exercised restraint throughout the situation but were compelled to respond in accordance with the law after security forces were targeted. The police spokesperson maintained that the nature of the weapons used and the organised tactics adopted during the clashes suggested the involvement of more than an ordinary protest movement. He further claimed that the group’s activities were intended to damage social harmony, weaken the atmosphere of brotherhood in AJK and create instability in the region. Officials said the confrontation claimed the life of a Rangers official, while around 15 police officers and other law enforcement personnel were injured during the exchanges. Police have reiterated that operations are being carried out under the law to restore order, while investigations into the incidents and the alleged network behind the violence remain ongoing.

RAWALPINDI: A four-day Special Polio Immunization Activity (SIAD) concluded in Rawalpindi on Thursday, with more than 594,000 children vaccinated during the first three days of the campaign, health authorities said. The campaign was carried out across Rawalpindi City, Rawalpindi Cantonment, Rawalpindi Rural and Taxila to strengthen children’s immunity against polio amid continued circulation of the virus in the region. According to Dr Ehsan Ghani, CEO Health Rawalpindi, around 184,000 children were vaccinated in Rawalpindi Rural, 107,000 in Rawalpindi City, more than 98,000 in Rawalpindi Cantonment and over 88,000 in Taxila during the first three days. More than 27,000 children found outside their homes and over 38,000 visiting children were also administered polio drops. The vaccination campaign was supported by 3,147 mobile teams, 169 fixed teams and 143 transit teams. A total of 525 Area In-Charges and 142 Union Council Management Officers supervised and monitored the campaign. Vaccination teams visited households, fixed sites and transit points to ensure that children travelling through or visiting the district were also covered. Dr Ghani said the campaign was preceded by extensive community engagement activities aimed at increasing public confidence in polio vaccination. Frontline workers held meetings at the neighbourhood level and engaged mosque imams, local elders and other community influencers to explain the importance of repeated vaccination and counter misinformation. Awareness activities were also conducted at health facilities, including Holy Family Hospital, where doctors and paramedical staff were briefed on vaccine confidence and the importance of supporting polio eradication efforts. The Punjab Emergency Operations Center coordinated with the district administration, health authorities, community representatives and other stakeholders to strengthen preparations for the campaign. Media and digital awareness campaigns also urged parents to welcome vaccination teams and ensure that all eligible children received the vaccine. Dr Ghani said detailed campaign data would now be analysed to identify missed children, assess vaccination coverage and improve future immunization strategies. Although no polio case has been reported in Rawalpindi, the detection of poliovirus in environmental samples from the district remains a serious warning, underscoring the need for continued vigilance and high population immunity. Dr Ghani thanked parents, caregivers, frontline workers, health authorities and local communities for their cooperation, stressing that every vaccination dose is essential to protecting children from lifelong paralysis. “Polio eradication remains a top priority. With continued commitment from parents, frontline workers, health authorities and communities, we can eliminate the virus from Rawalpindi and protect every child from this preventable disease,” he said.