According to a report in Dawn, the PEC has approved a conditional 8-week program for pre-medical students to bridge the gap in their academic background before they can begin their engineering studies.

PEC Registrar Dr. Nasir Mahmood Khan explained that the decision was made after consultations with university vice-chancellors and experts. He noted that engineering universities in Pakistan were previously producing around 30,000 engineers annually, but this number has been declining in recent years, with a drop of nearly 10,000 admissions in a single year.

Some universities have even been forced to shut down their engineering departments due to a lack of students.

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“The PEC Governing Body, in its 49th meeting held on June 28th, decided to allow students with Higher Secondary School Certificate (HSSC) Intermediate Pre-Medical qualifications to be admitted to all engineering programs,” stated a letter issued by the PEC on July 11th.

Universities have been instructed to begin accepting pre-medical students into their engineering programs starting with the upcoming fall admission session.

This new policy aims to address the declining enrollment in engineering programs and ensure the continued development of a skilled engineering workforce in Pakistan.