12 PPSC question papers leaked

At least 12 question papers of Punjab Public Service Commission's (PPSC) competitive exams for government posts scheduled recently were leaked, an investigation into the scandal has revealed.

Evidence in this regard has reportedly been found from a USB and gadgets seized from an employee of the commission, Waqar Akram. Examination papers for the posts of Tehsildars, lecturers, deputy accounts officers, assistant directors and inspectors were found from data of the prime suspects. Sources said an officer currently serving in a department related to education might also be questioned in the case. The suspects arrested so far include Akram, Ghazanfar, Gohar Ali and Mazhar Abbas. Akram is a computer operator in the PPSC.

He had access to the question papers in the system of the PPSC. He is suspected of copying the paper on a USB and handing it over to the other suspects. Ghazanfar is an employee of finance department and Ali an MPhil student at University of Punjab. A special investigation team of the Anti-Corruption Establishment arrested the suspects just two hours before the exams for 58 posts of Tehsildar, consolidation/ hill torrent officer, reader to member Board of Revenue in BS-16 were scheduled to be conducted across the province by the commission. As many as 103,487 candidates had applied for the 58 advertised posts in the Punjab Revenue Department.

The investigation team comprising Director Vigilance Abdussalam Arif, Deputy Director Finance Mazhar Iqbal Baloch and Inspector Zaigham Khalil conducted a sting operation through an undercover applicant. The deal was reached at Rs800,000 per paper with the gang through the student. Ghazanfar summoned the student at Barkat Market. Then the suspect went in his vehicle to another area of Lahore and took some girl candidates with them. At least four students gathered at the Punjab University Hostel. The suspects called the applicants two hours before the exam to prepare for the leaked questions, the sources said. The suspects also reportedly offered to return the money to candidates who would not score over 90% marks. The four suspects are in physical remand of the ACE and the investigation is continuing.