The Punjab government has resisted expanding the quota for children of overseas Pakistanis in public sector medical and dental colleges, despite a federal directive to increase opportunities. At present, only 66 seats are reserved across 20 government institutions, accounting for less than two percent of total admissions. The existing allocation falls significantly short of expectations set earlier this year by the federal government.
In April, Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a 15 percent quota for overseas Pakistanis in medical colleges nationwide, a move that could allow more than 3,000 students to pursue medical education in Pakistan. The Pakistan Medical & Dental Council (PMDC) formally communicated this policy to all stakeholders in September. However, Punjab’s newly issued 2025–26 admission policy did not incorporate the 15 percent reservation, effectively bypassing the Prime Minister’s directive.
The provincial policy further introduced an annual fee of 10,000 US dollars for overseas Pakistani students in public medical colleges, ending the previous provision of free education. University of Health Sciences (UHS) Lahore officials clarified that the 15 percent quota announced by the Prime Minister was intended only for private medical colleges. They noted that many seats reserved for overseas students in private institutions remain unfilled due to the high annual fee of Rs2.5 million, leading colleges to reallocate such seats to open merit.
Parents and students living abroad have strongly contested this interpretation, arguing that the PMDC notification applies uniformly to both public and private sector medical colleges. They insist that the quota in government institutions should be increased from the current two percent to 15 percent, which would raise the number of seats for overseas students from 66 to nearly 500. They have expressed frustration over the provincial government’s unwillingness to implement the federal policy.
The ongoing dispute underscores the widening gap between federal-level policy announcements and provincial execution. As the debate continues, thousands of overseas Pakistani students remain uncertain about their prospects of securing admission to Punjab’s public sector medical and dental colleges.
