Islamabad, Pakistan — The Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) has directed ten universities across the country to immediately discontinue unrecognised postgraduate medical and dental programmes being offered to MBBS and BDS doctors. In a notification issued on March 24, 2026, the PMDC warned that any degrees or diplomas awarded by these institutions without proper accreditation under Section 25 of the PMDC Act, 2022, will not be recognised or registered by the council. Students currently enrolled in these programmes have also been informed that their qualifications will not be accepted. The affected universities include TIMES University Multan, NUR International University Lahore, Gomal University DI Khan, Sohail University Karachi, Shah Abdul Latif University Khairpur, Khwaja Fareed University Rahim Yar Khan, University of Faisalabad, University of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Hazara University Mansehra, and Kohat University of Science and Technology.
It was identified that some universities had been offering and awarding postgraduate degrees and diplomas to MBBS and BDS doctors without fulfilling the mandatory requirement of recognition/accreditation under Section 25 of the PMDC Act, 2022.https://t.co/0BV2tDIdtR
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) March 25, 2026
Key Highlights
- PMDC directs 10 universities to stop offering unrecognised postgraduate medical and dental programmes.
- Degrees awarded without proper accreditation under PMDC Act 2022 will not be recognised or registered.
- Students enrolled in these programmes warned that their qualifications will not be accepted by the council.
- Universities must apply through the prescribed procedure before starting any postgraduate training.
- Move aims to ensure quality standards and protect the integrity of medical and dental education in Pakistan.
The PMDC emphasised that no institution can advertise, launch, or conduct postgraduate medical or dental qualifications without prior formal recognition. The council also reminded universities that Section 34 of the PMDC Act, 2022, prohibits granting affiliation to unrecognised programmes. Officials said the action was taken after a careful review of records following complaints that some institutions were bypassing mandatory accreditation requirements.
These universities included TIMES University in Multan, NUR International University in Lahore, Gomal University in DI Khan, Sohail University in Karachi, Shah Abdul Latif University in Khairpur, Khwaja Fareed University of Engineering and Information Technology in Rahim Yar…
— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) March 25, 2026
This step is expected to bring greater transparency and uniformity to postgraduate medical and dental education across the country. The PMDC has urged all universities and training institutes to strictly follow the prescribed procedure to avoid future complications for students and the healthcare system. The council’s move reinforces its commitment to maintaining high standards in medical education, ultimately benefiting patients and the medical profession in Pakistan. Students and parents are advised to verify the recognition status of any postgraduate programme before enrolling.
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