Court summons inquiry findings on NTS paper leak

SHC declines request for stay against nullification of test results

KARACHI: The Sindh High Court (SHC) sought on Monday a report from the provincial government on the findings of the inquiry into the paper leak during pre-admission entry tests for medical colleges and universities in Sindh conducted by the National Testing Service (NTS) and steps being taken to conduct the test afresh.

A two-judge bench, headed by Justice Munib Akhtar, was hearing a petition seeking direction for the federal and provincial authorities concerned to conduct a fresh entry test for medical colleges and universities in the province after a questionnaire was leaked during the previous test held on October 22.

During Monday's proceedings, Advocate Anwar Mansoor Khan, who represented a petitioner, informed the judges that the provincial government had annulled the results of last month's test in the light of the findings of the inquiry against the NTS management and others.



However, he argued that no reasons were assigned in the official notification regarding cancellation of the NTS test results. Therefore, he requested that a stay be granted against the nullification of the results till final disposal of the matter.

But, the judges observed that since no new date had been fixed for the fresh entry tests, therefore, there was apparently no need for a stay order.

On the contrary, the bench directed the provincial law officer and the relevant authorities to submit a detailed report, explaining what measures the government had taken in this regard. It further asked them to submit the report of the inquiry committee by November 28.

Meanwhile, notices were issued to the provincial authorities as well as NTS chief executive officer and the chairperson of the Pakistan Medical and Dental Council (PMDC) to file replies on another petition against the provincial government's decision to hold the entry test afresh.



The notices were issued by another bench, headed by Justice Aqeel Ahmed Abbasi, on a petition filed by Pasban Pakistan, a civil rights group.

The petitioner's lawyer, Farrukh Khan, argued that while the government constituted a committee to investigate the paper leak, public notices had not been issued to any of the parties related to the matter. He added that a separate inquiry initiated by the Federal Investigation Agency into the paper leak was also delayed.

He further argued that the cancellation of the entry test by the Sindh government amounted to interfering in matters of the PMDC, a federal regulatory body. Fresh tests will also be detrimental to those students who had successfully passed the previous test on the basis of their hard work and did not benefit from the leaked questionnaire.

Therefore, the court was pleaded to stop the provincial government from conducting the entry tests afresh on its own. A request was also sought for the relevant federal authorities to conduct the fresh tests.