PESHAWAR: Candidates and activists of Jamaat-i-Islami youth wing on Tuesday held protest demonstrations in various cities of the province against the National Testing Service (NTS) for its involvement in leaking papers ahead of tests for various posts of teachers.

They demanded of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take action against the NTS staff and hold the tests again in a transparent manner so that deserving candidates could get the jobs.

In Peshawar, a group of students and activists of Jamaat-i-Islami’s local chapter held a demonstration against the NTS. Holding banners and placards outside the Peshawar Press Club the protesters chanted slogans against the NTS administration and demanded of the chief justice of Pakistan to take suo motu notice of the alleged irregularity.

Candidates, Jamaat youth hold protests in various cities

Speaking on the occasion, JI youth wing president Siddiq Paracha said the provincial government should order judicial probe into the reports about the paper leak to prove its impartiality.

“Thousands of educated youth had deposited the fee two months ago, but the NTS failed to ensure transparency in the tests,” the JI leader said. Mr Paracha urged the government to refund the fee to all applicants.

In Mansehra, candidates who appeared in written tests for the posts of Arabic teachers and certified teachers demanded of the government to cancel papers of both the categories, alleging that question papers were leaked well before the start of examinations.

“We will hold a protest demonstration on Wednesday (today) as question papers for the posts of Arabic and certified teachers were already out before the start of examinations,” Hafizur Rehman, district president of Jamaat-i-Islami youth wing, told mediapersons in Oghi on Tuesday.

Led by Mr Rehman, a group of candidates who appeared in the written tests for the Arabic Teacher and Certified Teacher posts under the NTS on January 23 and 24, respectively, said the papers were already out while most of questions were out of course.

In Shangla, the candidates and youth of Puran tehsil staged a protest against NTS for leaking multiple choice questions and mismanagement in arrangement of the test centres and demanded action against the NTS staff.

The protest was called by the candidates who appeared in the tests for various posts in the education department. They also chanted slogans against the PTI government.

In Bajaur, JI youth wing held a demonstration outside the Bajaur Press Club against NTS for its alleged irregularities in the recent written exams.

The protesters, including Farmanullah, Hayat Khan and others, said irregularities in the examinations had proved that NTS was a corrupt organisation.

Published in Dawn, January 27th, 2021