The Lahore High Court here Wednesday directed chairmen of all Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education in Punjab (BISEs) to file their affidavits and inform the court as to when class-X students were provided roll number slips and how many students failed to sit in the examinations.
Earlier, BISE Lahore Chairman Muhammad Akram Kashmiri and Faisalabad board chairman Mumtaz Hussain appeared in the court and claimed that except a few, all students successfully sit in the examination. The petitioner Muhammad Azhar Siddique, however, opposed their claim saying a large number of students and their parents were still protesting on roads against non-provision of roll number slips.
The boards' chairmen undertook before the court that all such students who failed to appear in exams, will be given chance so that their academic year could not be spoiled. New date for their examination will be announced soon, they said. They further said that Punjab government had introduced the new online system for exams to curb corruption and 'Booti Mafia'. The court observed that the boards had to resolve minor issues, but the court was more responsible for protecting basic rights of citizens and it could issue any order in this regard.
Siddique pointed out that corruption references were pending with national accountability bureau against Dr Naeem, head of new online system of all boards. Dr Naeem had already been expelled from government College University and Punjab University of Information Technology on corruption charges, he added and raised a question, "How a corrupt man can bring change in the system."
The court, therefore, directed the boards' chairmen to submit their affidavits and adjourned hearing of the case for two weeks. Azhar Siddique in his petition, had contended that all intermediate and secondary education boards of Punjab had changed the procedure of MCQs for class-X exams. He said the students needed much time to understand the newly introduced pattern.
He pointed out that majority of the students could not get their roll number slips and had to visit board offices many time. The petitioner, therefore, prayed to the court to order all BISEs to withdraw newly introduced pattern of MCQs and also stay holding of the exams till final decision on the petition.