LAHORE: Punjab School Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat has criticised the cheating culture during board exams, accusing the Chairman and Controller of the Lahore Board of being complicit in illicit practices with the cheating mafia, ARY News reported on Sunday.
In a statement, the Punjab education minister alleged that the suspended Chairman and Controller of the Lahore Board were aiding the cheating mafia in Lahore. “The Controller permitted the employment of private individuals to augment the invigilators’ strength,” Rana said, claiming that he faced threats from the cheating mafia for exposing them.
Moreover, the minister asserted that the private school mafia bribed the board to secure specific examination centres. “Examination centres were allegedly being sold for Rs80,000,” he claimed, providing evidence in support of his allegations.
He also mentioned that obtaining a paper with answers costs students between Rs4,000 to Rs7,000, with invigilators openly discussing the cost on social media.
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Meanwhile, Rana Sikandar pledged to prevent Punjab from facing the same fate as Sindh and Karachi, vowing to continue unveiling the cheating mafia. “Thirty accused have been apprehended so far, and more prominent figures will be exposed soon,” he added.
According to the reports, inspection teams sealed seven examination centres across the city, and the papers of hundreds of students were annulled after discovering superintendents, invigilators, and students engaged in cheating.
The scandal unfolded in examination centres across various areas, including Sanda, Mozang, Sabzazar, Model Town, and Civil Lines. Inspection teams caught individuals facilitating cheating during the exams, with several students caught attempting to cheat while superintendents and invigilators facilitated the malpractice after accepting bribes.
Punjab Minister for School Education Rana Sikander Hayat personally led the inspections, conducting surprise visits to examination centers. His unannounced visits exposed the widespread extent of cheating.