MULTAN, Sept 11: The Bahauddin Zakariya University declared the results of BA/BSc first annual examinations, 2004, on Saturday with girls clinching most of the top positions.

As many as 31,293 candidates appeared in the examination. Of them, 11,016 were declared successful showing a pass percentage of 35.2. The results were declared in a ceremony chaired by BZU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Karamat Ali.

Of the 11 position holders, seven were girls. Not only the girls clinched the top positions, they also outclassed their counterparts in overall pass ratio as in the BA category the girls showed a pass percentage of 42.83 as against 24.8 among boys.

Similarly, in the BSc category the girls showed the pass ratio of 57.51 per cent as against boys' 31.27 per cent.

In his keynote address, the VC eulogized the performance of girl candidates saying the women in Pakistan were bringing a silent revolution in society. And this was despite the utmost effort of society to keep the women away from education.

The VC said that 60 per cent BZU students were girls while they were 70 per cent at the Karachi University and 60 to 65 per cent at the Punjab University. I feared someday we would have to reserve special seats for boys at the educational institutions, he remarked.

Following is the group-wise detail of the top position holders.

BACHELOR OF ARTS: Nadia Yasmin (Roll No 2994) of the Government College for Women, Sahiwal, clinched the first position with 658 marks. Amna Kanwal (16639) of the Princeton College Jatoi, Muzaffargarh, secured the second position with 633 marks. Private candidates Shugufta Jabeen (11938) and Mussarat Fatima (11870) of Burewala tehsil of Vehari district secured third and fourth positions with 626 and 621 marks, respectively.