The Pakistani government's efforts to reform the country's examination system have been met with criticism from some quarters, but education minister Prof Jehanzeb remains committed to bringing about change. The reforms aim to curb cheating during matriculation exams in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province by banning the sale and purchase of exam-related materials such as answer "pockets". This move has received support from the chief minister and other officials, who believe it will increase transparency and accountability in the institution.
In a bid to ensure that teachers are not involved in cheating, the reforms also include having teachers check papers instead of invigilators. The district administration in Upper Kohistan is strictly monitoring the exams with assistance from assistant commissioners and police deployments around schools. Deputy Commissioner Tariq Ali Khan is leading this effort, which has been successful in preventing unfair means in several districts.
Special teams have conducted surprise visits to examination halls in several districts, including Mansehra, Torghar, Lower Kohistan, and Kolai-Palas, to prevent cheating. The Speaker of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Babar Saleem Swati, has invited heads of all universities and educational boards to a meeting to discuss ways to further implement these reforms and promote transparency in the examination system.