The Lahore High Court has barred the University of Lahore and other private medical institutions from charging students fees above the legal limit, in a ruling that could bring relief to thousands of medical and dental students. Justice Khalid Ishaq delivered the judgment on a petition filed by citizen Shehryar, who challenged the fee structures of private medical colleges. Geo News reported on Saturday that the court had declared the heavy fees illegal.

The court directed the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to enforce strictly its notification capping annual fees at Rs1.8 million per student, and warned institutions of legal consequences for violations. The bench observed that private colleges had been charging far more than the permitted limit without justification, and said education, particularly in professional fields such as medicine, could not be treated as a commercial enterprise.

### Fees of up to Rs3 million reported

Some private medical and dental colleges had been charging between Rs2.5 million and Rs3 million a year, excluding hostel charges, laboratory fees and other costs, according to the report. The petitioner argued that such fees placed an unbearable burden on families and restricted access to medical education to the wealthy, in breach of the right to education under Article 25-A of the Constitution.

### What happens next

The court directed the PMDC to conduct audits and ensure no institution charges above the cap, and ordered colleges to display their approved fee structures prominently with clear breakdowns of tuition and other charges. The Pakistan Medical Students Association welcomed the decision. The University of Lahore has yet to issue an official statement, and sources quoted in the report said it may seek a review of the decision or appeal to a larger bench.