• Bench sends answer sheets of all CCE-2024 candidates to Sukkur IBA for reassessment
• Notes top scorers in written test failed interviews
• Orders Sindh govt to find persons responsible for ‘manoeuvring results’ and passing ineligible candidates

KARACHI: While sending all the answer sheets of candidates appeared in the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE-2024) to the Sukkur IBA for reassessment, the Sindh High Court has called for accountability of the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC).

“We are afraid that the complaints of favouritism and nepotism are increasing day by day against SPSC and SPSC is failed to maintain its dignity as it should have been. This necessitates accountability,” remarks a two-judge constitutional bench during the hearing of a set of identical petitions filed by various aspirants against the CCE-2024 results.

The bench, headed by Justice Muhammad Saleem Jessar, noted that in the CCE results, candidates securing the highest marks in the written test were declared failed in interviews, whereas those who got average marks were awarded more than 95 per cent marks in interviews.

The bench ordered the authorities to send all the answers sheets in sealed condition to the Sukkur IBA and directed its vice chancellor to ensure reassessment of the papers within one month.

It also directed the Sindh government to look into the affairs of the SPSC, “fix the persons responsible for manoeuvring the results and passing the ineligible candidates and recommended them for recruitment”.

Several candidates filed petitions in court, stating that they had appeared in the CCE-2024 but only 70 candidates were declaed successful by the SPSC in results announced on May 6.

On May 14, the SHC had suspended the results of CCE-2024 and ordered that the entire record be produced in court.

At the outset of the hearing on Tuesday, Judicial Magistrate Sajjad Ahmed Khoso appeared on behalf of the Hyderabad district & sessions judge and produced the answer sheets of the petitioners in sealed condition.

Sindh Advocate General (AG) Jawad Dero, along with additional advocates general Hakim Ali Shaikh and Sagheer Ahmed Abbasi, vehemently opposed the petitions for not being maintainable.

About formation of a mechanism to redress the grievances of the petitioners, the AG floated an idea to refer the petitioners back to the SPSC for examination of their representations.

However, he opposed the re-assessment of the answer sheets of the petitioners.

In its order, the bench stated that it was convinced with the argument of the provincial law officer that the copies cannot be rechecked particularly of the examination pertaining to civil service, but the case of the SPSC was an exception.

“This court is heaped with huge number of petitions challenging the recommendations of SPSC with allegation that those recommendations are made on acceptance of bribe and influence,” it said.

“We have come across the results recently announced by SPSC for recruitment in departments of government of Sindh where the candidates securing highest marks in written part of the examination are declared failed in interview, whereas the persons taking average marks are awarded more than 95% marks in the interview,” the court order said.

The bench stated that it had called the answer sheets of the petitioners only to get the same assessed from a third-party neutral forum.

It said all answer sheets were being sent to the Sukkur IBA VC in sealed condition, who must get these copies examined from professors having qualification in the relevant subject. “Re-assessment shall opine as to whether the first examiner has given the marks which candidate deserved or he/she has been deliberately given low marks and what should be the actual marks,” it added.

“The Vice Chancellor, IBA University Sukkur shall ensure reassessment of papers within one month’s time and shall return the retabulated result signed by him and examiner on or before the next date of hearing.

“Learned Advocate General Sindh vehemently opposes such proposal by placing reliance on unreported decision dated 16.06.2026 passed by the Federal Constitutional Court of Pakistan passed FCPLA No.73-K of 2026, unreported decision dated 16.10.2025 of this Court passed in C.P. No. D-572 of 2023 and unreported decision dated 09.12.2024 of this Court passed in C.P. No. D-1477 of 2026. We are afraid that the complaints of favoritism and nepotism are increasing day by day against SPSC and SPSC is failed to maintain its dignity as it should have been. This necessitates accountability,” the bench observed in its order.

“The petitioners and other persons, who participated in the competitive examination burn their blood with the hope that they shall be given a fair treatment and will be provided equal opportunity and an open atmosphere to compete, but SPSC through illegitimate acts has suffocated the desires of meritorious children for which this Court cannot close its eyes. If SPSC goes scot free with its highhandedness then in future a huge chaos in the society would happen, which may remain uncontrolled,” the court ruled.

“It is imperative upon the government of Sindh to look into the affairs of SPSC and fix the persons responsible for manoeuvring the results and passing the ineligible candidates and recommended them for recruitment,” it added.

Published in Dawn, July 1st, 2026