Alumni Oppose Punjab Medical College Renaming
Alumni associations have opposed the government’s decision to rename Punjab Medical College as Faisalabad Medical College, and they have urged the authorities to keep the institution’s historic name. The Punjab Medical College renaming affects a college founded in 1973, whose graduates practise in Pakistan and abroad.
In a joint letter to the Punjab governor, the Faisalabad Medical University vice chancellor and the principal of Faisalabad Medical College, two alumni bodies called for the original name to be restored. The letter came from the Punjab Medical College Alumni Association in North America and Punjab Medical College Alumni UK.
What the alumni asked for
The letter was signed by Dr Saadia Alvi, president of the North America association, and Dr Shahnaz Akhtar, president of the UK association. It asked the authorities to retain the institution’s identity as a constituent college of Faisalabad Medical University, under its original name.
The alumni argued that the institution had built a strong reputation in Pakistan and abroad under the name Punjab Medical College. They said the name represented its history, professional identity and legacy, and they urged the authorities to reinstate it.
Why the Punjab Medical College renaming worries graduates
The practical worry is about records. Dr Amir Sarfraz, a member of the UK alumni association, said thousands of graduates were practising in the UK, the United States, the Middle East and other countries. Their qualifications were registered with professional and academic bodies, including the General Medical Council and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates, under the name Punjab Medical College.
He warned that changing the name could create confusion and complications in the verification of qualifications, professional registration and credentialing. A doctor whose degree certificate carries one name, while the institution now carries another, can face extra questions at every check, even when the underlying qualification is unchanged.
He added that retaining the original name would not affect the vice chancellor’s administrative authority or the university’s governance. In other words, the alumni case is not about who runs the college. It is about what the college is called on the documents that follow its graduates for life.
What the ordinance changed
The letter refers to the Public Sector Medical Universities (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2026. It states that Section 5(a) inserts a new sub-section into Section 3 of the Faisalabad Medical University Act 2017. That change revives the college as a constituent institution, but names it as Faisalabad Medical College.
The alumni do not object to the college’s place inside the university. Their objection is to the new name attached to that place. The distinction matters, because it leaves room for a compromise: keep the constituent-college structure, but keep the historic name with it.
Medical education in Punjab has seen several regulatory changes this year. Nursing seats in the province rose by 1,100, as reported in UHS Nursing Seats Punjab Rise by 1,100. The medical council retained a 60 per cent marks requirement for MBBS and BDS admission, covered in PMDC Retains 60% Marks Requirement for MBBS, BDS Admissions. The Pharmacy Council barred 14 institutions from Pharm D admissions, reported in Pharmacy Council Bars 14 Institutions Pharm D Admissions. Against that background, the renaming dispute is a reminder that administrative changes can have practical effects on graduates, not just on letterheads.
What happens next
The letter has gone to the Punjab governor, the university vice chancellor and the college principal. The ball is now with the authorities: they can retain the new name, restore the old one, or find a form of words that protects existing graduates’ records while keeping the new structure.
For alumni abroad, the stakes are concrete. A name change that looks simple in a statute can mean months of correspondence with regulators. For current students, the question is which name will appear on their degrees. Both groups will watch the reply to the alumni letter closely.
Frequently asked questions
What name change are alumni opposing?
They oppose renaming Punjab Medical College as Faisalabad Medical College, and they want the original name retained.
Who wrote to the authorities?
The Punjab Medical College Alumni Association in North America and Punjab Medical College Alumni UK wrote a joint letter, signed by Dr Saadia Alvi and Dr Shahnaz Akhtar.
What law is involved?
The letter refers to the Public Sector Medical Universities (Second Amendment) Ordinance 2026, which inserts a new sub-section into Section 3 of the Faisalabad Medical University Act 2017.
Why do alumni say the name matters?
They say graduates’ qualifications are registered with bodies such as the General Medical Council and the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates under the name Punjab Medical College, and a change could confuse verification and credentialing.
When was Punjab Medical College founded?
The college was established in 1973, according to the alumni associations.
