Punjab Education Minister Mujtaba Shujaur Rehman informed that the Punjab Chief Minister has constituted an inquiry committee to investigate the issue regarding the publication of incorrect results.
Rehman said that new results will be announced within a month after rechecking.
He added that the second-year students, who are doubtful about their results, can get their papers rechecked free of cost.
The Education Minister defended the online system of examination results and said that the system itself is error-free but the mistakes took place due to lack of awareness among the staff operating the system.
Earlier on Saturday, the Intermediate students across Punjab protested against errors in their results as they besieged and ransacked the board offices across different cities. The students took the staff hostage and destroyed the records stored in the offices.
According to Express 24/7 correspondent Ejaz Alvi, students from Faisalabad protested in the Government College for Women’s vicinity located in Madina Town.
The students shunned the results and termed the computerised result system as “fake.” According to them, the competent students have failed and the incompetent students have passed.
Protests were also held in the suburbs of Faisalabad, including Toba Tek Singh and Kharrian, in which the students demanded that their papers be rechecked.
Express 24/7 correspondent Owais Jafri reported that about 5, 000 students from Dera Ghazi Khan, Bahawalpur and Rahim Yar Khan protested against the discrepancy in the result.
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 the students. Southern Punjab has four boards for intermediate and secondary education.
Jafri 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 worsened.
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 the students.
Students hailing from the rural areas faced more problems because they did not get any chance to meet the officials and get their queries answered.
No fee to be charged for rechecking: Punjab government
In the aftermath of the protests, the Punjab government 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 scrutinise 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 any criminal acts.
He also appealed to the students to not damage the government and public property.
