BSEK chairman resigns following allegations of mismanagement of matric exams in Karachi

KARACHI: Ghulam Hussain Soho has resigned as chairman of the Board of Secondary Education Karachi (BSEK) after a committee report highlighted alleged irregularities and administrative issues within the board.

He submitted his resignation late Monday to Universities and Boards Department Secretary Abbas Baloch after learning that the report had recommended his suspension.

The inquiry, formed on the directives of Sindh Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo, found that changes were made to 170 examination centres during ongoing matric exams.

Sources say Soho stated in his resignation that he had introduced reforms, including system automation, online payments, a grievance redressal mechanism, and staff training, but faced resistance from within the board.

Meanwhile, BSEK said in a Facebook statement that Soho remains committed to improving the education system and supporting students.

The annual Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations began on April 10 for more than 385,529 students at 521 centres across the city, following a short delay caused by the non-issuance of admit cards.

In recent weeks, several cases of cheating, paper leaks and other irregularities have surfaced, raising concerns over BSEK’s performance despite its claims of maintaining “zero tolerance” against malpractice.

In Orangi Town, some private schools reportedly bypassed official centres and arranged unauthorised venues using fake permits to enable cheating. BSEK officials confirmed that hundreds of students were caught cheating and disciplinary actions were initiated, while superintendents at centres in Malir and PECHS were suspended.

Sindh Minister Muhammad Ismail Rahoo also conducted surprise visits to examination centres, warning that individuals involved in malpractice could face blacklisting from board examinations.