Fake certificates scandal widens

HYDERABAD:

As the scandal concerning issuance of fake certificates and mark sheets by Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Mirpurkhas keeps unfolding, a Naukot based school has alleged that 463 fake certificates have been issued in its name alone. Talking to the media in Mirpurkhas on Sunday the owner of Thar Higher Secondary School, Naukot, Ahsanullah Bhatti claimed that 375 certificates of intermediate and 88 of matric classes were issued in the school's name.

"But there is no record in the school of the roll numbers against which these academic documents were issued," he revealed. According to him, the certificates in questions were released from 2021 to 2025, a period of time whose inquiry is underway.

The disclosure comes a day after the chairman of BISE Mirpurkhas Col (R) Dr Syed Muhammad Alamdar Raza informed through a press release that 2,539 spurious certificates were released by the board during the same years. He also provided a list of the seat numbers from the years 2021 to 2025 against which had received those certificates.

"Last year I came across two such certificates after which I lodged a complaint with controller exams Anwar Aleem Khanzada," Bhatti told. "But he took no action." He maintained that issuance of such a large number of academic documents has stained reputation of his school.

Mark sheets, Pakka certificates and migration certificates were all issued by the board's officials, he added. He offered his cooperation to the government authorities investigating the scam.

Responding to a question, until November, 2025, he knew about only two fake certificates associated with his school. The figure of 463 certificates became known after the BISE Mirpurkhas issued a detailed list of roll numbers who were given fake documents.

The arrest of a secret branch's staff Azam Khan on March 16 by Mirpurkhas police and the associated suspension of over half a dozen officials including former controller Khanzada has exposed the alleged corruption in the board. Khan confessed to the police, and also reiterated the same charges before the media, that the corrupt officials used to seek between Rs50,000 to Rs500,000 for the fake records, undue marks and pakka certificates.

Khanzada, son of Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan's MNA Abdul Aleem Khanzada who himself served as chairman of BISE Mirpurkhas, is at the centre of the controversy. He was suspended from his position of controller exams on March 9. Khan, who was produced before the media after his arrest at a press conference by SP Mirpurkhas SP Quratulain on March 16, had accused Khanzada for being the mainstay in the alleged racket.