Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Senator Irfan Siddiqui Friday said that private medical colleges will not be allowed to arbitrarily increase fees and violate rules. “Senate Standing Committee on National Health is seriously looking into this issue,” Siddiqui said during a meeting with a delegation of parents and students from Islamabad’s medical colleges who met him in his office. A formal notification has been issued for a three-member sub-committee, headed by Senator Palwasha Khan, which will begin its work next week, he said. The parents and students informed Senator Siddiqui about the issues they are facing, revealing that the colleges have unilaterally increased fees, which are now many times higher than last year. They also mentioned that the private colleges are openly violating the PMDC’s (Pakistan Medical and Dental Council) guidelines. Senator Siddiqui assured the delegation that after the sub-committee’s report, legal action would be taken against institutions violating PMDC’s guidelines and arbitrarily increasing fees. He added that the government is also aware of this issue and will soon take appropriate action. The delegation thanked Senator Ameer Chishti, the chairman of the National Health Committee, and other members for their efforts in addressing this important issue and trying to protect students from exploitation.