ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly Standing Committee for Education has taken strict notice of reported leaks in Cambridge Assessment International Education’s (CAIE) A and O Level exam papers, initiating a formal inquiry and raising questions about the board’s credibility in Pakistan.
The decision followed a detailed session chaired by committee head Azeem Zahid on Friday morning. Faisalabad lawmaker Muhammad Ali Sarfaraz presented video evidence of leaked exam papers from the May session, citing student testimonies. He stated, “These are undeniable proofs.
But only a limited number of students gained from this wrongdoing. If Cambridge cancels the exams and applies average grading, many others will suffer. They must either retake the papers or lower the threshold.”
The meeting revealed a regulatory gap, with officials from the Federal Ministry of Education admitting they do not monitor Cambridge’s operations in Pakistan. Dr Ghulam Ali Mallah, Executive Director of the Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC), said his organisation had not been officially involved in Cambridge oversight and only learned of the responsibility through a court notice.
“When last year’s paper was leaked, we kept asking for updates. We were never taken into confidence,” he said.
The committee formed a sub-committee to investigate the exam leaks, comprising members Dr Aleem, Zeb Jafar, Sarfaraz, and Dr Mallah. The probe will commence after June 16, at the request of Cambridge’s Pakistan representative Uzma Yousaf.
Yousaf, present at the meeting, faced criticism after she appeared to shift blame onto local Pakistani boards, stating, “Students come to us because of the performance of local boards.” Committee members rejected this, stressing that not all Pakistani boards underperform and that the focus should remain on Cambridge’s own accountability.
If necessary, the sub-committee may contact Cambridge’s international offices for further investigation. The Standing Committee also expressed concerns over the limited mandate of Cambridge staff in Pakistan.
