CTD ordered to crack down on cheating mafia in Sindh

Sindh’s chief minister has ordered the Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) to crack down on the cheating mafia across the province and also directed the district authorities to monitor printing and distribution of examination papers.

Syed Murad Ali Shah announced the decision on Monday during a meeting at the CM House, where prevention of unfair means and leaking out of question papers in the ongoing exams came under discussion.

Board of Intermediate Education Karachi Chairman Prof Inam Ahmed told the chief executive that 11 of the 118 exam centres across the city – including those in Korangi, Landhi and Buffer Zone – were challenging because an organised mafia was involved there in unfair means and leaking out of papers.

CM Shah said the papers were leaked out either from the board office or by organised groups, in some of which internal and external invigilators could be involved.

He added that the printing of exam papers would be monitored by the Central deputy commissioner and other DCs in their respective districts, while their distribution would be conducted in the presence of an officer of the respective district administrations.

He directed the city commissioner to convene a meeting with all the DCs to assign them their respective duties at the printing press and examination centres in accordance with his order.

He also ordered his principal secretary, Sohail Rajput, to convey his decisions to all the DCs for implementation in their respective divisions.

When it was pointed out that some stenographers and other staffers recently transferred from the board office were working with organised gangs, the chief executive directed the CTD to launch an investigation into the matter and keep him posted on its progress.

According to CM Shah’s orders, DCs, additional DCs, assistant commissioners, Mukhtiarkars and other relevant officers of district administrations would perform their duties at the 118 exam centres across the city and a similar arrangement would be made in other districts of the province.

Shah also directed city police chief Mushtaq Maher to provide adequate security to all the exam centres and deploy plain-clothes police officials where the cheating mafia and organised groups were active.

CTD Sindh chief Sanaullah Abbasi told the chief executive that his department had identified the cheating mafia through WhatsApp and constituted three teams to arrest them.

The CM said he did not want them only arrested. “I want a proper crackdown on them. Pick them up from their homes and bring them to book. Report to me on the matter by tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.”

He also decided that no invigilator or student would be allowed to bring their smartphone inside the exam centre. He directed Prof Ahmed to provide him with the list of the mobile phone numbers of all the invigilators and other relevant officials as well as share the list with the CTD.

“Calls made between 8:30am and 12:30pm and between 1:30pm and 4:30pm could easily be traced for leaking out of papers and other purposes.”

He said that it was quite a pathetic state of affairs that the board’s administration and police were unable to put an end to unfair means during exams.

“If you can’t conduct fair exams, then it’s better to promote students to the next class without having them take the exams. Cheating is an injustice to good students. I won’t allow this at any cost. I shall also start making surprise visits to the exam centres.”

Among others, the meeting was also attended by Education & Literacy Minister Jam Mehtab Hussain Dahar, Universities & Boards Secretary Navid Ahmed Shaikh and Colleges Secretary Pervaiz Ahmed Sehar.