• Muttahida, JI and many students express distrust over inquiry committee formed by BIEK
• Hold board itself responsible for controversial results

KARACHI: A week after the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK) announced a committee to investigate allegations of wrongdoing in the first-year exam results, multiple students expressed their lack of trust in the body, while the opposition Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) have demanded that the Sindh government itself set up a panel to probe BIEK affairs.

Approximately 67 per cent of first year (science) students failed their exams, conducted by the BIEK, in one or more subjects, resulting in widespread public outcry that forced the BIEK to constitute an inquiry committee on Jan 5 to examine the papers submitted for scrutiny and decide in 21 days whether the complaints against results are valid.

Talking to Dawn, Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Ali Khurshidi of MQM-P said: “Minister for Parliamentary Affairs Zia Lanjar had ensured us during a Sindh Assembly session on Jan 6 that a parliamentary committee would be formed to probe the controversial exam results. But no such body has been formed by the provincial govt so far. We believe that a parliamentary body is important so that it can oversee the findings and investigation of the BIEK committee.

“However, it’s important that the committee look into not just the scrutiny of papers, but the overall irregularities that have created all these problems in the results,” he added.

When contacted, JI Karachi chief Monem Zafar told Dawn that his party demanded that the provincial government form an inquiry committee.

“The Inter board is itself responsible for the tampering with the results so a committee formed by it is not enough. The provincial government should itself constitute a committee. And that committee’s findings must be made public and all those who are found involved in the tampering with the results must be held accountable,” he said.

“It is not enough to just increase the students’ marks and get done with this problem as had been done last time when a similar issue had arisen. The committee should include all stakeholders to assess the overall irregularities that took place,” he added.

The JI chief also demanded waiving the entire fee for scrutiny of the exam papers.

“The students have suffered due to the blunders of the BIEK and now they’re also supposed to pay a scrutiny fee to get their issue resolved. That is not fair. Many students’ parents are facing financial difficulties. It’s not that easy for them to pay even that amount. Instead of reducing the fee, the board should end it,” Mr Zafar demanded.

Meanwhile, the students also expressed dissatisfaction over the BIEK body.

On different social media platforms, many were seen criticising the committee, saying it would be of no benefit and that their future had been put at stake.

“The committee is of no benefit because this ‘work’ is being done by the Sindh government in a very systematic way to affect education in government schools and colleges and profit private institutes,” said one Facebook user.

“These are just dramas by the Sindh government who actually wants to destroy public sector education in Karachi,” wrote Uroosa while Syed Akhtar said: “Only specific students’ marks would be increased and the government would make money out of it.”

A large number of students along with their parents had recently gathered at the Karachi Press Club after the formation of the BIEK body, and staged a protest against the Sindh government and board officials and demanded justice.

Published in Dawn, January 13th, 2025