The Sindh government has rejected the MDCAT 2026 controversy, saying Karachi candidates scored higher than students from other divisions of the province. The Sindh Health Department has sent that assessment to the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PM&DC), the national regulator for medical and dental education, after claims that Karachi performers had done poorly.
What Sindh told the PM&DC
In its letter, the department said an analysis of MDCAT results and district-wise data did not back allegations of weak Karachi performance. It reported that 33,336 candidates sat the exam across Sindh, and that 57.96 per cent of provincial candidates scored 90 marks or more.
Karachi recorded the highest average among Sindh’s divisions, at 107.67 marks. Of the 9,505 candidates who appeared from Karachi, 66.98 per cent scored 90 or more, and 57.78 per cent scored 99 or more, according to the department’s figures.
For other divisions, the share scoring 90 or more was given as 55.04 per cent in Sukkur, 54.50 per cent in Larkana, 53.62 per cent in Shaheed Benazirabad, and 52.34 per cent in Hyderabad. The department also said all districts of Karachi ranked among the nine best-performing districts in Sindh on its reading of the results.
How the figures were compiled
Officials said the assessment drew on data compiled by Sukkur IBA Testing Services (STS), which has conducted the MDCAT in previous years. The department added that STS had published candidates’ marks and domicile details to support transparency.
Sindh maintained that seats in public medical colleges are filled on a district basis under existing admission rules, with Karachi seats reserved for candidates who hold a Karachi domicile. Higher marks from other districts, it argued, would not change that reserved allocation.
The department noted that students from many districts may prepare in larger cities such as Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, and Larkana. It said candidates should not be viewed with suspicion only because their domicile differs from where they scored high marks, and it urged that results not be turned into a political controversy.
Timeline: what has happened so far
- Social media users alleged that the MDCAT question paper had been leaked; lawmakers also raised concerns about credibility and transparency.
- Earlier, the federal government approached Sindh over complaints about the examination and called for an independent, transparent inquiry.
- October 5: The PM&DC wrote to the Sindh Health Department and the provincial health minister seeking investigation of allegations linked to the exam, with an inquiry report due within two weeks.
- Sindh’s health department then replied to the PM&DC with result and district data rejecting claims of poor Karachi performance.
Aasan alfaaz mein
Sindh sarkar ne kaha hai ke MDCAT mein Karachi ke students doosri divisions se behtar numbers laaye. Unhone yeh jawab PM&DC ko bheja, jahan pehle imtihaan ke mutalliq shikayatain uthi thin. Karachi ka average score 107.67 bataya gaya hai. Medical college ke seats ab bhi domicile ke mutabiq district-wise milte hain, is liye yeh debate admission ke qawaid ko badalne ka matlab nahi.
