In preparation for the upcoming medical entrance exams, mobile and internet services will be suspended around examination centers in Punjab and Peshawar, as directed by the Interior Ministry and provincial authorities.
The Punjab government, following the Interior Ministry’s recommendations, has instructed the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) to halt mobile and internet services within a 500-meter radius of 26 examination centers. The PTA received the location coordinates for these centers, which are spread across 12 districts: Lahore, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Faisalabad, Multan, Bahawalpur, DG Khan, Sahiwal, Rawalpindi, Sargodha, Gujrat, and Rahim Yar Khan. The entrance exams for medical colleges in Punjab are scheduled for Sunday.
In Peshawar, similar measures will be enforced for the medical entrance exam, also set for Sunday.
Khyber Medical University (KMU) Vice Chancellor, Prof. Dr. Ziaul Haq, chaired a meeting to finalize exam arrangements. Attendees included representatives from the district administration, police, and other relevant departments. Six test centers in Peshawar have been designated for the exams, with strict security protocols in place.
To maintain the integrity of the exam, several items have been banned inside the centers, including mobile phones, watches, calculators, pens, pencils, jewelry, and ATM cards. Mobile phone services around the test centers will also be suspended.
Each test center will be overseen by a senior police officer of SP rank and an assistant commissioner. Students will undergo three stages of frisking, with security measures involving metal detectors and biometric verification through NADRA’s system.
Students are only permitted to carry their roll number slips and ID cards into the examination halls. Essential items, such as mineral water, juice, biscuits, ballpoint pens, and test cards, will be provided at the centers, with all items pre-cleared by a special branch team.
The KMU Vice Chancellor, along with other officials, will monitor the test centers from a control room at the university to ensure the smooth conduct of the exams.
