Whistle-blower's arrest unravelsBISE Mirpurkhas corruption web

Assistant programmer's confession leads to superintendent's arrest

HYDERABAD:

Police have arrested a corruption whistle-blower linked to the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Mirpurkhas, leading to the detention of an office superintendent and raising the prospect of further arrests of board officials.

The city's Senior Police Officer Quratulain told a press conference on Monday that the arrest of assistant computer programmer Azam Khan, who made a confessional statement about alleged widespread corruption at BISE Mirpurkhas, led to the apprehension of an office superintendent.

"More arrests may follow as the investigation proceeds," SP Quratulain said. Khan was presented before the media alongside Town Police SHO Ameen Marri and Investigating Officer Abbass Ali Abbass, allowing him to answer questions.

At the centre of the allegations is the recently suspended Controller of Examinations, Anwer Aleem Khanzada. Khan described him as the mainstay in the alleged corruption network. "Anwer Aleem Khanzada has been playing the main role. The controller and many other officials operate under him," he said.

Khan also named secret branch superintendents Shahid Latif and Irsahad Khanzada, along with Moazam Shahbaz and Noman Ahmed Rajput, as key figures allegedly involved in the corruption. He claimed that around 9,000 students from classes IX to intermediate in 2022, and 11,000 in 2023, were awarded additional or passing marks in exchange for bribes.

The whistle-blower further revealed that thousands of fake educational certificates, particularly "pakka" certificates of class X (required for national identity cards and domiciles), were issued from 2021 to 2025. "There is information about issuing pakka certificates to Afghan nationals, but I will share this only with police," he added. Bribes reportedly ranged from Rs50,000 to Rs500,000, with references from politicians, bureaucrats, and journalists reportedly facilitating the process.

According to Khan, between 7,000 and 8,000 students annually received extra or passing marks through bribery. The SP confirmed that Town Police have registered an FIR and the probe is expected to make further headway. "This is just the trail, and so far we have apprehended only two employees," SP Quratulain said, lamenting that the culture of bribery has deprived meritorious students of their rights.

IO Abbass added that some pakka certificates were issued to Afghan nationals to help them obtain Pakistani domiciles and national identity cards. At least four private schools and colleges are also believed to be involved in the fake certificate racket. "The suspect has given us many names, but we will investigate every one of them before disclosing identities."