Reassessment against rules: Bijarani

ISLAMABAD: There is no rule or provision for reassessment/remarking of papers after announcement of examination results under any circumstances and, if allowed, it will open a Pandora’s box, which will damage the country’s education system, Federal Minister for Education Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani said on Monday.

“If there is any irregularity in the marking/assessment of the Farah Dogar’s papers, strict action under the rules will be taken against those responsible,” the education minister said during an exclusive chat with Geo News in the parliament house and, added, “But, for this we will have to wait till the record of Farah Dogar’s case, which is still in possession of the court, is returned to us.”

“Look, no one is above the law,” Bijarani maintained, adding, “but, for this we will have to examine the record of Farah Dogar’s case whether during the process of assessment/marking of Farah’s papers, she was given some extraordinary favour.”

“There should be no doubt that if some irregularity is found in marking of the papers we will take all possible measures against those who committed this act, but only after the record is returned to us,” Bijarani said in categorical words.

He was commenting on reports that Farah was awarded two marks out of one in the Physics paper while two marks were awarded in the Urdu paper for a wrong answer. Bijarani was also told that during normal process of assessment/marking, an examiner awarded her zero mark at first, but during the same process she was given one mark for a wrong answer which clearly shows that even the normal process of marking/assessment was influenced. Bijarani reiterated that his ministry would not let any one do anything illegal and those found guilty would be punished under the law.

On the question of legality of reassessment, Bijarani said he was not saying this for the first time; he had said on many occasions that reassessment of papers is illegal and not allowed under any law, rules or regulations and under any circumstances.

The minister said he will not comment on the Islamabad High Court (IHC) decision but he knows only one thing: that reassessment is not allowed under any law and under any circumstances whatsoever. He repeated that if allowed, reassessment would open a Pandora’s box.