Fact-check: Story behind mother of three topping class 10 exam in Karachi

Reports of  a woman, mother of three, topping her class 10 exams that emerged on Monday, have been truly inspiring for women and girls. 

The news was initially shared by the Board of Intermediate Karachi (BIEK) on Twitter, with a picture of the woman and her children, so it was believed that the woman belonged to Karachi. 

However, it later emerged that it was a fake account operating under the name of BIEK and this woman is neither Pakistani nor a citizen of Karachi, but a Kashmiri from Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK).

Indian publication The Tribune reported that Sabrina Khaliq from Kupwara, IIOJK, secured the top position in class X bi-yearly examination by scoring 93% marks. The report published on Friday, September 16, stated that the examination results were declared by the Jammu and Kashmir Board of School Education earlier that week.

As per the publication, Sabrina left studies after class IX when she was married in 2013.

“After marriage, I devoted myself to the family, my kids. Last year, I decided to resume studies,” it quoted Sabrina as saying.

Many other publications, including NDTV, reported the same.

Later, the BIEK also issued a clarification for the confusion, claiming no links with the account that shared "false and baseless news shared with pictures".

BIEK condemned  the misreporting that declared the "fake" account the official Twitter account of BIEK.

"A news website, despite rebuttal by a BIEK official [for the news], published an article with the headline (that translates as) 'Inter board's Twitter account shared incomplete news'. Interestingly, in the next paragraph of the report it was admitted that this account was not of the BIEK and the picture shared from this account is of a woman from IIOJK," the statement read.

The educational board said that the cybercrime wing of the Federal investigation Agency (FIA) and other authorities concerned have been contacted for action against the fake accounts spreading wrong information under the name of BIEK. 

It also expressed hope that the said news website will keep the principles of journalism in view while publishing any news in the future.