LAHORE, April 19: The Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Lahore, on Thursday cancelled the matriculation Urdu-B paper for the afternoon session following reports that the question-paper was opened at one of the examination centres during the morning session.

All the candidates, who were supposed to appear in the afternoon session, have been asked to sit for their Urdu-B paper on April 26 at 1.30pm at their respective examination centres. The candidates got disappointed when they learnt at their examination centres that the paper had been cancelled.

BISE chairman Prof Dr Zikariya Butt said a packet of question-papers meant for the afternoon session was opened at an examination centre (L-154) at the Punjab University Cluster Centres. The candidates at that examination centre attempted the question-paper.

He said four officials were responsible for showing ineptness by opening the afternoon session question-papers. Giving details, he said, the distributing inspector was responsible for collecting question-paper packets from banks which were wrapped in green and red papers for morning and afternoon sessions, respectively.

Distributing inspector Muhammad Nawaz Padihar, senior headmaster of the Government High School, Township (Lahore), collected the wrong packet that was wrapped in red paper. The same packet was opened by centre superintendent Hafiz Liaquat Ali Siddiqui, senior subject specialist at the Government Higher Secondary School, Nangal (Sheikhupura), deputy superintendent Abdullah Bhatti, SST at the Government High School, Mozang, and invigilator Asghar Ali, SST at the Government High School, Harbanspura, who also signed as witness that the question-paper packet was being opened according to the date-sheet and session, the chairman said.

After discussing the matter with the Punjab education secretary, the chairman said the four officials had been disqualified for life for performing board’s examination duties. He said a case against the officials had also been sent to the education secretary for proceeding under efficiency and discipline rules.

Prof Butt said the board officials had received information about the discrepancy two hours after the examination began. Therefore, he said, the board did not cancel the paper for the candidates appearing at the L-154 centre because the question-paper was unseen for those students as well.

He, however, said the board would issue special instructions for the marking of answer-sheets of the candidates who attempted the afternoon session paper.

According to a press release issued by the Lahore board, the cost to be incurred on the rescheduled examination would be borne by the four officials.