SPSC suspends officers over paper leak

Exam for Tuesday cancelled, candidates protest against loss of months of preparations

HYDERABAD/ KARACHI:

After matriculation, intermediate and Medical and Dental College Test (MDCAT) now the papers of Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) have become available to well-connected candidates offering the right amount of money.

There were protests at exam centres at NED University Karachi and other cities of Sindh over the cancellation of the exam.

Meanwhile, acknowledging the commission of an unlawful act by SPSC's staff, SPSC Secretary Nazir Ahmed Qureshi told the media in Hyderabad that the exams are being cancelled. "The top officials of the commissions are in a meeting to decide about the postponement," he disclosed.

Qureshi said the police have started their investigation and assured that stringent action will be taken against the staff found involved in the act. The SPSC on Tuesday evening suspended eights of its employees in connection with the incident while the Hyderabad police recorded statements of seven officers and officials but arrested none.

Later in the evening the commission also announced postponement of the exam to the month of April. The cancellation of the paper, which started around 11am, spurred a furious reaction by the candidates who allegedly damaged furniture in the examination centers in addition to holding protests.

More than 306,000 candidates from across the province were enrolled for the test for recruitment on over 2,200 vacancies of BS-16 Secondary School Techer (SST).

Read: CM Sindh orders inquiry into BIEK first-year exam result

The SPSC had staggered the candidates on the basis of their districts. The one-paper exam for the candidates started from February 15 in five centers in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur and Larkana.

The test was scheduled to last till February 26. The question paper contained 50 multiple choice questions which were divided in three categories of general knowledge, Urdu and Sindhi. On Tuesday, over 23,000 candidates reached to the five centers but they were told the paper has been cancelled.

"... the matter has been referred to the district police to conduct a thorough probe and initiate an FIR against the alleged involved officers or officials of SPSC or private persons under relevant law," reads a statement issued by SPSC's secretary. "In order to uphold the commitment to transparency, meritocracy and accountability, the full commission of SPSC has unanimously decided to cancel all the papers of BS-16 SST General and Science categories whether conducted or yet to conducted with effect from February 15 to 25."

The statement conveyed that the commission of planning to re-conduct the test in the month of April, no definite schedule was provided. The Secretary told the media that they learned about the leaked paper through an online page operated by an individual, Naeemullah Mahar. He blamed Mahar for often defaming his institution and for misleading the youth against them. Nevertheless, he conceded that the information about the leaked paper on Mahar's portal was factual.

Protest

The candidates appearing in the two test centers in Hyderabad and in one center each in Sukkur and Larkana resorted to protests. They staged a sit-in on the road outside Shaheed Umeed Ali Sports Complex near Niaz Cricket Stadium where 5,000 of them had to appear. Another 6,960 candidates were to take test at Public School Hyderabad. Many of them later held a demonstration outside the SPSC's head office on Thandi Sarak road.

A sit-in protest was also staged outside Sir Shahnawaz Bhutto Memorial Library in Larkana and outside Public School on Airport road in Sukkur. The candidates blamed the SPSC for continuing to obstruct merit based recruitment. They urged the apex court to take notice as well as order punishment against the officers involved in selling off the government jobs.

Suspension

According to an office order issued in Hyderabad on Tuesday evening by the Secretary SPSC, Assistant Controller Exams-I Zainal Alam, Senior Computer Operators Sajjad Ahmed Chawli and Ahsan Zaheer Abro have been suspended. At least five Naib Qasids including Khan Muhammad Shah, Akbar Ali Dahiri, Syed Shahzed Jaffri, Shahzaib Abro and Aziz Ahmed are also facing suspension. It has been stated in the order that a separate charge sheet against these employees will also be issued.

Meanwhile, SSP Hyderabad Amjad Ahmed Shaikh confirmed that the police have recorded statements of seven employees of the commission including its secretary and controller. He denied making any arrests.

Chaos at NED

During the SPSC test at NED University ground, there was an uproar when the administrative staff started withdrawing the paper. The candidates got angry, tore the papers, threw chairs and staged a protest on University Road. Clashes also took place between the administration and the candidates while the SPSC staff also escaped. The invigilators said they took back papers as per instructions, the candidates assaulted them unjustly.

The Sindh Professors and Lecturers Association Central President Munawar Abbas while talking to The Express Tribune said that he was on duty and the mismanagement reached its peak after taking the papers. The women teachers of the college were mistreated, no security was provided for the teachers. If this kind of mismanagement continues, "we will not conduct the upcoming exams of SPSC on February 28," he said, adding "we will announce disaffiliation from the SPSC test."

 

Published in The Express Tribune, February 21^st 2024.