NA panel takes up extra-marks case of CJ’s daughter
By Usman Manzoor
ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly standing committee on education has summoned the federal and state ministers as well as top officials on Thursday to probe the alleged misuse of authority in enhancing marks of the daughter of the chief justice of Pakistan.
Chaudhry Abid Sher Ali, chairman of the committee, confirmed to The News on Wednesday a number of complaints had been received by the committee. After the publication of stories in newspapers, he said, it was felt that something wrong had been done to give the top judge’s daughter extra marks.
He added a meeting had been called for Thursday and all relevant people, including senior officials of the education ministry, secretary, additional secretary and chairman of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) summoned to answer quires raised in the news items.
Ali assured that the committee would stay neutral at the meeting, scheduled for 11.00am, and a transparent inquiry into the reported misuse of power would be conducted. Anyone found guilty of power abuse would be dealt with according to the law, he warned, explaining federal and state ministers for education would be asked why the daughter of the chief justice was awarded extra marks.
Members of the committee include former high court judge Fakharunisa Khokhar, President Asif Zardari’s sister Dr Azra Fazal Pechuho, MNA Maulana Fazlur Rehman, former foreign minister Sardar Aseff Ahmad Ali, Zubaida Jalal and others.
Meanwhile, a former chairman of the Rawalpindi and Sargodha Boards of Intermediate and Secondary Education has said there are no rules allowing the rechecking of a student’s papers (answer sheets).
Dr Aziz Ahmad Hashmi, in an exclusive chat with The News on Wednesday, pointed out the chairman of a board was not empowered to re-mark papers of a student. By the same token, he explained, the chairman of the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (FBISE) had no power to order re-evaluation of papers.
“I have been chairman of the Rawalpindi and Sargodha boards. I have never seen any rule, which has been exercised by a former FBISE chairman to re-assess the papers of a student,” Hashmi said.
“Although pressures were exerted every year by influential people to have the marks of their children enhanced, the chairmen would come up with one answer that they could not reward any student in violation of rules.” He went on to explain that recounting of marks was the right of every student but re-evaluation was illegal. The FBISE had thus set a unique precedent, he concluded.