Senior politician and social activist Rehana Habib Jalib has strongly criticised the alleged mistreatment and inappropriate conduct by Balochistan Board staff towards examinees, particularly female students, at examination centres, while the Board Chairman has separately reported confronting a “mob-like situation” during an inspection for widespread cheating.
In a statement issued on Monday, Ms Jalib claimed that certain male officials of the Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BBISE), Quetta, reportedly entered girls’ examination centres and conducted searches of female students under the pretext of preventing malpractice. She stated that such actions violated ethical boundaries and caused profound concern among the candidates and their families.
Ms Jalib further asserted that this situation reflects a systemic failure of policy and oversight, for which the Chairman of the Balochistan Board is directly accountable. She deemed such measures in a society like Balochistan not only inappropriate but also irresponsible and unacceptable.
She has demanded an immediate and transparent inquiry into the matter, including an examination of the Board Chairman”s role, seeking clarification on the basis upon which such actions were permitted. Ms Jalib called for stringent measures against those responsible to prevent recurrence, emphasising that no compromise can be made on the dignity and safety of female students, and unlawful or unethical practices will never be tolerated in the name of examination transparency.
Conversely, the Chairman of the Balochistan Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education, Quetta, detailed in a report to the Secretary, School Education Department, dated 11 April 2026, concerns regarding the widespread use of unfair means and special inspection during the HSSC Annual Examination, 2026. He specified that complaints of malpractices and threats from parents of students to supervisory staff were received concerning the examination centre at Government Inter Girls College, Jinnah Town, Quetta.
Consequently, the Chairman conducted a special inspection on 18 April (Evening Session) along with a team comprising Ms Saeeda Niaz (Joint Director, Directorate of Colleges), Ms Nagina Rehman (Subject Specialist), Ms Rukhsana Bangash (Subject Specialist, co-opted member), Mr Asadullah (BBISE), Mr Ali Ahmed (BBISE), and Mr Muhammad Usman (BBISE).
During the inspection, the female supervisory and monitoring staff members recovered mobile phones and cheating material from candidates, resulting in 21 recorded instances of unfair means. Following this, the Chairman reported that students and parents attempted to create a tumultuous gathering, threatening the inspection team with severe consequences and vowing to malign them on social media, in violation of Section 144 Cr.P.C. He commended the highly appreciable role of the SSP (Security) and area SHO in managing the situation, yet expressed concern about the likelihood of further disruption by parents and “incompetent students” in subsequent papers.