KARACHI:

Armed men storm farmhouse, loot cash valuables

In a move that has stirred debate in education and bureaucracy circles of Sindh, the provincial government’s decision to split the controlling authority of educational boards between the chief minister and the minister for universities and boards has introduced what officials describe as an ‘unprecedented dual-command structure’ in the province’s examination system.

According to sources, the Sindh cabinet has recently approved a key administrative change transferring the controlling authority of educational board chairpersons to the chief minister.

Previously, this authority rested entirely with the minister for universities and boards, who oversaw chairpersons, controllers of examinations, secretaries, and audit officers.

Under the revised arrangement, the minister will continue to supervise controllers of examinations, board secretaries, and audit officers, while chairpersons of all educational boards will now report directly to the chief minister. This effectively places Sindh’s examination boards under a split control mechanism, with two separate tiers of authority operating simultaneously.

Although official minutes of the cabinet meeting and a formal notification are still awaited, the decision has already triggered concern within administrative and academic circles. Questions are being raised as to why only partial authority was withdrawn if the provincial government had concerns over the performance of the Universities and Boards Department, while other key functions were left unchanged.

The development comes at a particularly sensitive time, with several educational boards in the province already mired in controversy, especially the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Mirpurkhas and the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK).

The controller of examinations of the BISE Mirpurkhas is currently in the custody of the Anti-Corruption Establishment over allegations of tampering with examination results and other irregularities.

Following his disclosures, the ACE has reportedly issued communications implicating officials of both the boards and the Universities and Boards Department in alleged financial misconduct. These include claims of Rs200 million being transferred to the department in the form of “gifts.” Sources further claim that some officials have secured protective bail from courts.

Meanwhile, the BSEK has come under intense scrutiny following widespread reports of administrative lapses during the recent matriculation examinations. An inquiry committee has reportedly confirmed irregularities in examination centre allocation and the relocation of more than 100 centres during the ongoing examination process. The committee declared these actions unjustified and recommended removal of both the chairman and controller of examinations.

Following the report, the BSEK chairman tendered his resignation. Sources indicate that the provincial government is now considering appointing a serving bureaucrat to temporarily manage the board’s affairs until a final decision is taken.