Medical qualification obtained from ‘PaK’ invalid: MCI

SRINAGAR — The Medical Council of India (MCI) has said that the medical qualification obtained from Pakistan administered Kashmir (PaK) will not be registered and persons possessing such certificates will not be allowed to practice modern medicine in India.

The MCI move comes months after the Indian Metrology Department (IMD) stated to issue the weather updates of the areas that are part of Pak.

In a notice issued, Rakesh Kumar Vats, Secretary General of the MCI, said: “This is to inform all concerned that the entire territories of UT of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India. Pakistan is in illegal and forcible occupation of a part of the territory.”

The notice further states that accordingly, any medical institution in Pak and Ladakh requires permission / recognition under IMC Act, 1956. “Such permission has not been granted to any medical college in PaK,” Vats said in the notice.

He said, “Therefore, any qualification obtained from medical colleges located in these “illegally occupied areas of India” shall not entitle a person for grant of registration under the Indian Medical Council Act, 1956 to practice modern medicine in India.”

The notification from India about medical professionals comes days after the Prime Minister of Pakistan Imran Khan led government in Pakistan unveiled a new political map which includes this part of Kashmir (Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir) as part of Pakistan.