Sindh govt orders probe into issuance of fake matric certificates by Mirpurkhas board

KARACHI: The Sindh government has constituted a high-level committee to investigate what it has termed a serious scandal involving the issuance of fraudulent matriculation certificates and examination irregularities at the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Mirpurkhas.

The matter surfaced after the arrest of some junior officials who reportedly informed the police that certain board officials had allegedly issued thousands of fake matriculation certificates to a number of individuals, including Afghan nationals, between 2021 and 2025. The certificates were allegedly provided to help recipients fulfil a key requirement for obtaining computerised national identity cards (CNICs) and domicile certificates.

Sindh minister orders inquiry

Sindh Minister for Universities and Boards Muhammad Ismail Rahu took serious notice of the reports concerning the issuance of fake matriculation certificates and directed the formation of an inquiry committee to look into the matter.

According to a notification, Vice Chancellor of Sindh University Professor Dr Fateh Muhammad Marri has been appointed as the convener of the committee tasked with probing the allegations.

Scale of the alleged fraud

The allegations point to a potentially large-scale fraud operation that spanned several years, with the arrested junior officials claiming that the fake certificates were issued in significant numbers. The purported scheme raises serious concerns about the integrity of the examination and certification systems operated by BISE Mirpurkhas, as well as the potential misuse of these documents for identity and residency purposes.

The involvement of Afghan nationals among the alleged beneficiaries of the fraudulent certificates adds another dimension to the scandal, as it suggests the documents may have been used to circumvent immigration and identity verification processes.

The Sindh government's decision to form an inquiry committee headed by a senior academic official signals the seriousness with which authorities are treating the matter. The committee is expected to examine the full extent of the irregularities, identify those responsible, and recommend appropriate action.

The scandal has put the spotlight on the functioning of education boards in Sindh and the potential vulnerabilities in their systems that may have allowed such large-scale fraud to continue over a period of several years.