Girls leave an examination center after the first paper of grade XII science group held under Karachi Board of Intermediate Education on Monday. PHOTO: JALAL QURESHI/EXPRESS
HYDERABAD:
Police arrested a corruption whistleblower linked to the Mirpurkhas Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE), leading to the arrest of a superintendent of the office and raising the possibility of further arrests of board officials.
Senior city police officer Quratulain said at a press conference on Monday that the arrest of assistant computer programmer Azam Khan, who made a confessional statement about alleged widespread corruption in BISE Mirpurkhas, led to the detention of a superintendent of the office.
“More arrests may be made as the investigation progresses,” SP Quratulain said. Khan was presented before the media along with municipal police SHO Ameen Marri and investigating officer Abbass Ali Abbass, allowing him to answer questions.
At the center of the allegations is recently suspended examination controller Anwer Aleem Khanzada. Khan described him as the pillar of the alleged corruption network. “Anwer Aleem Khanzada has played the lead role. The comptroller and many other officials operate under him,” he said.
Khan also named secret branch superintendents Shahid Latif and Irsahad Khanzada, along with Moazam Shahbaz and Noman Ahmed Rajput, as key figures allegedly involved in the corruption. It claimed that around 9,000 students from grades IX to intermediate in 2022, and 11,000 in 2023, received additional or passing grades in exchange for bribes.
The whistleblower further revealed that between 2021 and 2025, thousands of fake educational certificates were issued, particularly class X “pakka” certificates (required for national ID cards and domiciles). “There is information about issuing pakka certificates to Afghan citizens, but I will share it only with the police,” he added. The bribes reportedly ranged between Rs 50,000 and Rs 500,000, with referrals from politicians, bureaucrats and journalists allegedly facilitating the process.
According to Khan, between 7,000 and 8,000 students annually received additional or passing grades through bribes. The SP confirmed that the Municipal Police has registered an FIR and the investigation is expected to progress further. “This is just a tip and so far we have arrested only two employees,” said SP Quratulain, lamenting that the culture of bribery has deprived meritorious students of their rights.
IO Abbass added that some pakka certificates were issued to Afghan nationals to help them obtain domiciles and national identity cards in Pakistan. At least four private schools and colleges are also believed to be involved in the fake certificate business. “The suspect has given us many names, but we will investigate each of them before revealing their identities.”
