The Supreme Court ordered on Saturday the private medical colleges to refund the excessive fee to students within 15 days. Photo: file

 

LAHORE: The Supreme Court ordered on Saturday the private medical colleges to refund the excessive fee to students within 15 days.

A two-member bench of SC?s Lahore registry heard the suo motu case against the exorbitant fees of private medical colleges across the country.

The apex court ordered that fee more than Rs850,000 should be refunded to the students, and colleges which fail to follow suit should be investigated.

The Chief Justice of Pakistan Justice Mian Saqib Nisar also took notice of illegally registered medical colleges during the tenure of Dr Asim. He sent the matter to National Accountability Bureau and asked for a report to be submitted within a month. 

On December 28, 2017, the CJP had remarked that the court should be informed how much fee is being charged from students and observed that the court is trying that money should not be an obstacle in attaining an education.

Appearing before the court after being summoned, Punjab governor's son Ahsan Rajwana offered an unconditional apology to the court over his interference in the case. The apology was accepted by the bench.

Justice Ahsan inquired from Rajwana if he was trying to influence the case by contacting a female counsel involved in the case. Rajwana claimed that he has familial relations with the counsel, Anjum Hameed.

During the hearing, the court inquired why the owners of Sharif Medical College did not appear before the bench, to which the college's principal replied that he did not receive the court?s notice and thus couldn?t appear earlier.