‘I refused to declare private residence an exam centre’

QUETTA: The head of the Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education Quetta, Dr Ghulam Hussain, claimed on Monday that he had been demoted to the position of officer on special duty (OSD) for barring an influential person from declaring his house an examination centre.

Talking to the media on the eve of the SSC result’s announcement, Hussain disclosed that he was asked to declare the residence of an “influential personality” an examinations centre so that his son could appear for the SSC examination. “I refused,” Hussain said, adding that although the influential person still managed to get his residence declared as an examination centre for his son, Hussain marked his son absent.

Although Hussain refused to disclose the name of the influential person, sources said he was a member of the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party. Hussain said he was also pressurised into appointing a superintendent to the post of assistant secretary in the board. “This was beyond my powers because the said post has to be filled by Balochistan Public Service Commission.”

These two factors, Hussain said, could be behind his demotion. Since there is no legal justification for his removal from the office of chairman, Hussain vowed to soon move the court over his relegation which was done without stating any reason. In this connection, the Balochistan Professors and Lecturers Association refused to check the examination papers of intermediate students as a sign of protest.

Earlier, though, Hussain announced the result of the Matriculation examination for the year 2010, according to which Loralai Residential College clinched all top three positions in the Science group.  Abrar Ahmed Shah secured first position with 899 marks out of 1100. Ehsan Ullah obtained 897 marks securing second position while Mohammad Kazim was placed at the third postion with 890 marks.

In the Humanities group, female students clinched the top two positions. Surriya of teh Government girls H/S Shaldara secured first position with 833 marks out of 1100. A private candidate Huma secured second position obtaining 806 marks while a male private candidate Akhtar Ali obtained 804 marks securing the third place.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 20^th, 2010.