Portal is being restored for local users, while overseas access remains read-only for now, says executive director
KARACHI:
The Inter Board Committee of Presidents (IBCC) has suspended verification of matriculation and intermediary certificates across the country following an advisory from the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) regarding potential cyber threats.
According to an IBCC notification, the process of verification and equivalence of O and A level certificates has also been temporarily stopped, and other online verification services have been disabled as a precautionary measure.
The suspension has created difficulties for thousands of students across the country, including those in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Islamabad, who require verification of matric and intermediate certificates or equivalence of O and A levels.
Students applying abroad have also been affected, as verification and equivalency services remain disrupted.
Officials noted that manual verification and equivalency processes had already been disrupted, making it impossible to return to the old system.
Meanwhile, the IBCC has limited its verification and equivalence portal to “read-only mode”. Only previously registered users can log in to view the status of their file, while no new requests have been accepted.
The CERT advisory was reportedly issued last week following cyberattacks targeting the websites of several Pakistani television channels and government institutions.
IBCC Executive Director Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah said the portal is being restored for users in Pakistan, while foreign users will continue to have access only in read-only mode for the time being.
