PESHAWAR, Nov 15: The candidates appearing in the competitive examinations have expressed concern over the cancellation of a paper and have asked the Governor, Iftikhar Hussain Shah, to intervene in the matter and take notice of the unlawful acts of the officials of the Public Service Commission, who are conducting the examinations.

Those who are taking competitive examinations which are being held under the supervision of the judicial branch of the provincial Public Service Commission for the posts of civil judges and magistrates, told newsmen at the Peshawar Press Club here that the examiners on Thursday refused to furnish the bare copies of relevant Acts to the students.

The bare copies of the relevant Acts which are used by the candidates for the purpose of reference, is also allowed under the law, but the refusal of the authorities to allow the students to use it, hit them hard.

However, the students said they attempted the fourth paper of Civil Law without being provided with the bare copies of the relevant Acts.

They said that they were surprised when the authorities announced cancellation of the paper and announced Nov 20 as the next date for the paper.

The students said that the authorities maintained that the paper would be taken under the new rules, devised by the Public Service Commission.

The students also said that the bare copies of the relevant Acts were allowed under the syllabus and standard set by the competent authorities.

According to the syllabus, except in case of papers of Mohammedan law/ Islamic Law, Hadood Ordinances, Islamic Jurisprudence and pleadings, bare copies of the relevant Acts would be provided to the candidates.

The students said that the law clearly mentions that bare copies of Acts would be provided in other paper but its withholding by the examiners in the paper of Civil Law, is violative of the prescribed rules and regulations.

The students said that they were not prepared to take the paper on the next day, because they had attempted the paper even when they were refused to use bare copies of relevant Acts by the examiners and that there was no justification to cancel the paper.

They also said that the whole examination should be cancelled in order to hold it afresh in line with the new rules.

The candidates have appealed to the provincial governor to take stock of the situation and save the students’ future from being spoiled.

As many as 1,300 students are appearing in the examination at different examination halls in the provincial metropolis and the re-holding of the paper would hit them the most, said the students.