KARACHI: The Supreme Court on Friday upheld a Sindh High Court order for maintaining the results of a pre-entry admission test to government-run medical colleges and universities conducted in October by the National Testing Service (NTS).

However, a two-judge bench headed by Justice Mushir Alam directed the Federal Investigation Agency to complete its forensic inquiry into the alleged leakage of the entry test paper within three months.

The unsuccessful candidates had challenged the SHC’s Dec 5 order through which it upheld the results of the test for admission to government-run medical colleges and universities in Sindh and set aside a provincial government notification that annulled the test results following allegations of irregularities in the process.

FIA gets three months to complete paper leak probe; govt told to continue with MBBS, BDS admission process

The Supreme Court in its order observed that more than 18,000 students appeared in the test and a discrepancy, if any, was equally effective for all those students who appeared in the examination and not merely those candidates who could not successfully attempt such questions and challenged the results.

“All such students were on equal footing and have faced the same discrepancy, if at all, if it is so held therefore on these aspects we are fully satisfied that the learned bench of SHC has dealt with the matter effectively to weed out any concern of both the unsuccessful petitioners and successful candidates who outnumbered by great margin,” the court ruled.

However, the judges observed that they were concerned about the leakage of the paper and since they were informed that the FIA was holding a forensic inquiry into the matter; “let the admission process on the basis of NTS results be continued”.

Directing the petitioners to provide all details, particulars and evidence to the FIA within a week, the court asked the agency to complete its inquiry within three months.

Quashing a Sindh government notification regarding cancellation of the test results, the SHC in its Dec 5 order directed the authorities concerned to proceed with the procedure of admission to the public-sector medical universities and colleges in the MBBS and BDS programmes on the basis of the NTS test held on Oct 22.

Over 18,000 candidates had appeared in the test and 144 of them filed petitions in the SHC seeking to uphold the results and bar the government from conducting a fresh entry test. Around a dozen other candidates approached the court with the plea to order the authorities concerned to hold the test afresh.

Finance secy removed on court order

The Sindh High Court was informed on Friday that the Sindh finance secretary was removed in compliance with a court order after it directed the provincial government to immediately remove all officers reinstated in different departments after they entered into plea bargains with the National Accountability Bureau in corruption cases.

Headed by Chief Justice Ahmed Ali M. Shaikh, a two-judge bench on Friday expressed resentment over non-compliance with the court orders and asked Chief Secretary Rizwan Memon why the government was protecting such officers.

However, the chief secretary said that he was not defending anybody.

The chief justice said that Sindh Finance Secretary Syed Hasan Naqvi had also entered into a plea bargain, but despite this he was given posting.

The court directed the chief secretary to remove him immediately and sought a compliance report.

Later in the day, sources said that the provincial authorities informed the SHC about the removal of Mr Naqvi from the post of finance secretary.

The bench was hearing a case pertaining to the reinstatement of a district accounts officer of Thatta after he voluntarily returned Rs200 million.

Earlier, the court had directed the provincial government to remove all the officers reinstated in different departments after they entered into plea bargains with NAB in corruption references.

Published in Dawn, December 23rd, 2017