Axe falls on KU's exam controller amid LLB result scandal

Inquiry into suspected result manipulation yet to begin

KARACHI:

Blank answer scripts carrying passing marks, failed students receiving revised mark sheets and an alleged scrutiny process that bypassed university rules have put the University of Karachi's examination system under scrutiny. The university has now removed its controller of examinations, but a formal inquiry into the alleged manipulation of law college results has yet to begin.

Controller of Examinations Dr Muhammad Yasir Khan has been removed from the post and sent back to his department to resume teaching. Vice Chancellor Dr Waseem Qazi has appointed Dr Ghufran Saeed of the Department of Food Science as his replacement, with an official notification issued to this effect.

The administrative action follows revelations by The Express Tribune about more than 150 law students who were initially declared unsuccessful but were subsequently awarded passing marks through a disputed scrutiny process. The absence of a formal investigation has raised concerns about the preservation of evidence relating to the alleged alteration of results.

According to reports, the newly appointed permanent VC personally obtained and examined examination answer scripts and found that many were blank despite marks having been awarded to the candidates.

The students belonged to the LLB programmes at SM Law College and Islamia College. Express News had obtained and broadcast images of their answer scripts, original and revised mark sheets, and award sheets, documenting discrepancies between the initial results and those issued after scrutiny. The results had reportedly been altered on the recommendation of the dean of the Faculty of Law and with the approval of former acting VC Dr Tufail Ahmed. The dean of law had convened a meeting with the principals of the relevant colleges, which was described in the report as a fictitious scrutiny committee.

The committee met on August 5 under the chairmanship of the dean and decided to re-examine answer scripts for Paper V of LLB Part II. However, university regulations do not permit the re-evaluation of examination answer scripts under the annual system, where scrutiny is limited to recounting marks. On August 6, the then controller of examinations obtained the acting VC's approval for the committee's recommendations. The approval reportedly included the phrase "other related cases", which was subsequently used to extend the decision to students who had failed Pakistan Studies papers as well.Following the approval, the principal of SM Law College asked students to apply for scrutiny on the same day. The then controller of examinations had, however, described the information as incorrect.

Several students who had failed papers in Obligations and Pakistan Studies, including candidates awarded zero or low marks, were allegedly given between 50 and 65 marks after the scrutiny process. The examinations department had initially issued mark sheets declaring them unsuccessful before issuing revised documents showing them as having passed.