Girls walk out of an examination center after the first science group test of Grade 12 organized on Monday under the aegis of the Board of Intermediate Education, Karachi. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
HYDERABAD:
Police have arrested a corruption whistleblower linked to the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Mirpurkhas, leading to the detention of an office manager and raising the prospect of further arrests of board officials.
Senior city police officer Quratulain told a press conference on Monday that the arrest of assistant computer programmer Azam Khan, who made an avowed statement on allegations of widespread corruption at BISE Mirpurkhas, led to the arrest of a superintendent of the office.
“More arrests may follow as the investigation progresses,” SP Quratulain said. Khan was presented before the media alongside city police SHO Ameen Marri and investigating officer Abbass Ali Abbass, allowing him to answer questions.
At the center of the allegations is the recently suspended controller of examinations, Anwer Aleem Khanzada. Khan described him as the kingpin of the alleged corruption network. “Anwer Aleem Khanzada played the main role. The controller and many other officials operate under him,” he said.
Khan also named secret branch superintendents Shahid Latif and Irsahad Khanzada, as well as Moazam Shahbaz and Noman Ahmed Rajput, as key figures allegedly involved in corruption. He claimed that around 9,000 students from classes IX to intermediate in 2022, and 11,000 in 2023, got extra or passing marks in exchange for bribes.
The whistleblower further revealed that thousands of fake educational certificates, including class The bribes reportedly ranged between 50,000 and 500,000 rupees, with references from politicians, bureaucrats and journalists allegedly facilitating the process.
According to Khan, between 7,000 and 8,000 students received extra or passing grades each year thanks to corruption. The SP confirmed that the city police had registered an FIR and the investigation is expected to progress further. “This is just a lead, and so far we have apprehended only two employees,” said SP Quratulain, lamenting that the culture of corruption has deprived meritorious students of their rights.
IO Abbass added that some pakka certificates were issued to Afghan nationals to help them obtain Pakistani domiciles and national identity cards. At least four private schools and colleges are also believed to be involved in trafficking fake certificates. “The suspect has given us many names, but we will investigate each of them before releasing his identity.”
