PAC orders special audit of education boards

Director general audit given four months to complete audit and submit report

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KARACHI:

The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Sindh Assembly has ordered a special audit of all seven education boards in the province while expressing deep concern over their alleged financial irregularities and questionable performance. The audit, which has to be completed within four months, will focus on financial expenditures, irregularities, and the procedures for awarding marks from 2022 to 2024.

The decision was taken in a meeting of the PAC which took place in the Sindh Assembly's committee room on Tuesday. PAC Chairman Nisar Khuhro presided over the meeting which was attended by committee members Sadia Javed, Khurram Karim Soomro, and Javed, along with senior officials, including Universities and Boards Secretary Abbas Baloch, and the chairmen of education boards.

The committee expressed dissatisfaction with the management of education boards, citing repeated instances of financial mismanagement.

Chairman Khuhro expressed a lack of confidence in the boards' operations while highlighting growing concerns over the alleged manipulation of exam results. He added that allegations of "paying for marks" have tarnished the reputation of the boards.

"The boards are accused of awarding A+ marks for money, but this practice will only lead to failure when students sit for entry tests," Khuhro warned. He stressed that despite the Sindh government's initiative to provide free education up to the intermediate level, the quality of education and transparency in results had been compromised due to the boards' alleged malpractices. The government allocates Rs2 billion annually for exam fees, yet the credibility of the boards continues to be questioned.

Khuhro stressed that the future of the youth is at stake, and the committee would not tolerate any compromise on education standards. "Just as Gorakh Hill underwent a special audit, we will ensure the same transparency for education boards," he added.

The issue of result manipulation came to the forefront when PAC member Khurram Karim Soomro raised concerns regarding Amir Qadri, the former chairman of the Board of Intermediate Education Karachi (BIEK), who had been removed due to allegations of manipulating first-year results. Soomro asked for an update on the progress of the investigation and sought clarification on the system for awarding marks in the boards.