KARACHI, March 31: The Board of Intermediate Education is likely to delay the commencement of HSC annual examinations for one or two days, said sources in the board.

It was learnt that the board had planned to conduct the exams for about 0.145 million candidates in two phases, but in view of the chehlum of Hazrat Imam Hussain, which could fall on April 22 or 23, authorities in the board are not clear regarding compliance of an order of the Sindh education department’s steering committee.

The steering committee had finalized some months ago the schedule of SSC and HSC annual examinations, according to which the HSC annual examinations were due to begin on April 22 throughout the province. However, some groups, including that of the staff, are approaching the authorities for changes in the dates so that the chehlum could be observed with all fervour.

The Karachi board alone could not change the dates in isolation and it would have to follow the dates which were being followed by other boards. In any case, if the authorities approved the idea of delaying the examinations for a couple of days, the new date would be given only after sighting of the Safarul Murajjab moon, said a BIE official.

The BIE examination department for the first phase has planned to hold the examinations of pre-medical and commerce (regular) in the morning shift and pre-engineering and science general exams in the second shift.