MDCAT 2017 paper leak: FIA arrests suspect trying to flee to Qatar from Multan airport

MULTAN - The Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) has rounded up a suspect of leaking Medical and Dental College Admission Test (MDCAT) 2017 papers from Multan airport.

Rao Bilal, accused of leaking the paper, was arrested on Thursday by the authorities when he was trying to fly off to Qatar to avoid legal action.

In an investigation report submitted to the Lahore High Court in a case seeking invalidity of the test, the Punjab government claimed that some employees of University of Health Sciences (UHC) were found involved in the issue.

Later, the high court ordered to re-conduct the test by barring the authorities from issuing the result of the paper taken earlier.

The court had also directed the authorities to take stern legal action against those are behind the leaking of the papers.

Meanwhile, the UHS has announced to re-hold the exam on October 29 without charging fee from aspirants.

MDCAT Paper Leak

The news of the MDCAT paper leak spread like wildfire on social media after August 20 when some of the users shared pictures of the paper.

The allegation that the paper, which decides who would be becoming a doctor or dental surgeon, became mainstream when students moved Lahore High Court seeking an inquiry.

At that time, UHS Vice-Chancellor Prof Dr Junaid Sarfraz Khan rubbished the rumors that the entry test paper had been leaked.

According to a UHS spokesman, it was just a hoax by a Facebook page named ‘Ya mbbs hai mamu’ that claimed the leakage of paper.

The UHS head also moved FIA to track the perpetrator who according to him had dented the credibility of the institute.

More than 65,000 candidates including 41,000 female students appeared for the Punjab Medical & Dental Colleges’ Admission Test (MDCAT).

The University of Health Sciences (UHS) had deputed around 5,500 invigilators and around 1,000 superintendents and deputy superintendents.

The test was held simultaneously at 28 centres established in 13 cities – Lahore, Faisalabad, Sahiwal, Multan, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan, Sargodha, Gujrat, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, DG Khan and Hassan Abdal, The Nation reported.

This year, the candidates are competing for 3405 MBBS seats in 17 public sector medical colleges and 216 BDS seats in three public dental colleges of the province. Besides, there are 2590 MBBS seats available in 21 private medical colleges and 555 BDS seats in nine private dental colleges affiliated with the university.