Court Takes Notice of Zero Marks Given to Class 9th Student

Peshawar High Court Takes Strict Notice of Zero Marks Given to Class 9th Student in BISE Result Blunder

Peshawar High Court (PHC) Intervention in Educational Board Negligence

In a landmark development highlighting systemic flaws in Pakistan's educational evaluation systems, the Peshawar High Court (PHC) has taken serious notice of a shocking incident where a bright ninth-grade student was erroneously awarded zero marks. The court has summoned the Chairman and the Controller of Examinations of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Peshawar in person.

The high-profile case revolves around student Abdul Moiz Khan, who challenged his inexplicable zero marks in the Biology-I theory paper. A two-member bench comprising PHC Senior Puisne Judge Ijaz Anwar and Justice Babar Sattar heard the petition, which was filed through legal counsel Aminur Rehman Yousafzai. The case has triggered a massive debate regarding accountability, transparency, and the mental trauma inflicted on young students due to administrative carelessness by examination boards.

The Root Cause: Erroneous Checking and Computer-Generated Coding Errors

During the court proceedings, the legal counsel representing BISE Peshawar, Zainul Abideen, conceded that a grave mistake had occurred. He informed the bench that the student’s grievance would be promptly addressed, explicitly admitting that the Biology-I theory paper had been incorrectly checked, leading to the accidental assignment of zero marks.

Explaining the technical background of how the blunder occurred, the board’s counsel stated that examination scripts are designated with computer-generated security codes once they arrive at the board’s central office. Due to a technical or administrative oversight during this coding process, the petitioner’s answer sheet was mistakenly cataloged under an incorrect serial identification number, completely disassociating it from his actual profile until legal intervention took place.

"Playing with the Future of Children": PHC Rashes Out at Board Authorities

The presiding bench expressed deep indignation and frustration over the casual attitude of the examination board. Justice Ijaz Anwar reprimanded the board’s legal representatives for failing to present the original Biology-I answer sheet despite prior directives from the bench.

The court further emphasized a deeper systemic inequality: while Abdul Moiz Khan was fortunate enough to be the son of a lawyer—enabling him to knock on the doors of the High Court—thousands of other underprivileged students suffering from similar result discrepancies lack the financial resources or legal backing to challenge unfair boards. The bench underlined that awarding zero marks out of nowhere is a serious offense that demands structural accountability rather than a quiet, behind-the-scenes adjustment.

Revision of Marks and Ongoing Legal Proceedings

Although the board scrambled to rectify the mistake outside the courtroom—subsequently updating the student’s marks sheet to reflect a total Biology score of 72 out of 75, with the theory section adjusted to 65 marks—the court maintained that the legal procedure must run its course to deter future negligence.

The petitioner’s lawyer brought to light that approximately 1.9 million students had submitted applications for paper rechecking across various tiers, pointing toward a widespread crisis of confidence in board evaluations.

Refusing to treat the matter as closed simply because one individual's record was fixed, the PHC ordered the board authorities to submit the original answer scripts and comprehensive audit logs at the next hearing. The court formally adjourned the proceedings until September 9, instructing both the Chairman and Controller of Examinations to make a mandatory personal appearance.