Punjab students protest against intermediate results

Punjab government has announced that no fee will be charged from intermediate students for the rechecking of papers.

Students besieged and ransacked board across different cities in Punjab. The students took staff hostage and destroyed record stored in the offices.

According to Express 24/7 correspondent Ejaz Alvi, students from Faisalabad are protesting in Government College for Women’s vicinity located in Madina Town.

The students have shunned the results and have termed the computerised result system as “fake” as, according to them, the competent students have failed and the incompetent students have passed.

Protests are also underway in the suburbs of Faisalabad including Toba Tek Singh, Kharrian, in which the students are demanding their papers be rechecked.

Express 24/7 correspondent Owais Jaffery said that about 5,000 students from Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan were protesting against the discrepancy in the result.

Southern Punjab has four boards for intermediate and secondary education. Secretary Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Multan Rao Shahid Mahmood said that they have allocated two days for rechecking and recounting of results, and that the lists have been put up in the board building to assist students.

Jaffery added that the total number of affected students from the first year of intermediate is about 30,000, while the number of students who appeared in the exam is 54,000. He said that the protests in Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan have worsened.

Officials have failed to give any substantial rationale to justify the errors.

Around 80% students have been given average marks, this also includes students who were high-scorers in last year’s result.

The students refused to pay any fee for rechecking and said that it is the mistake of the board and that they will not pay anything. They said the board should take the responsibility and facilitate students.

Students hailing from the rural areas are facing more problems because they did not have any chance to meet officials and get their queries answered.

No fee to be charged for rechecking: Punjab government

In the aftermath of the protests, the Punjab government has announced that no fee will be charged from intermediate students for the rechecking of papers.

Earlier it was reported that an amount of Rs700-750 was being charged by the board for rechecking.

Punjab government spokesperson said that all those students who have doubts regarding their marks and would want the board to scrutinize their examination scripts can submit their applications without any fee.

He also urged that the students should abide by the rules and regulations of the board and not to get themselves involved in criminal acts.

He also appealed to the students to not damage government and public property.