What happened: On Jan 10, the Supreme Court issued a notice to the Pakistan Medical Commission demanding a response to their question about why Hafiz-e-Quran students, applying to medical colleges and universities, should be given additional 20 marks. Back story: A female student filed a petition after she was denied admission in the Bolan University of Medical and Health Sciences. She appealed on the basis of a law passed in 1987 that provides Hafiz-e-Quran students with a 20% bonus at every level following matriculation. The petitioner’s counsel claimed that she would have been admitted on merit if the Hafiz-e-Quran quota of 20 marks was added to her actual grades. SC’s response: The Supreme Court’s two-member bench, led by Justice Qazi Faez Isa, questioned the petitioner’s counsel about why the applying student should be given extra marks for being a Hafiz-e-Quran. The court stated that being a Hafiz-e-Quran is a sacred act, and it would be good if the candidate was filing for a position as a mosque Imam or a religious lecturer, “But why should an applicant for a medical college or university be given an extra 20 marks for applying to a medical school?” What’s next: The Supreme Court subsequently decided to have a separate hearing to address the problem and postponed the hearing. All respondents, including the involved university and the Pakistan Medical Commission, were also served with notifications, inquiring about the Hafiz-e-Quran quota.