Exams to be held as per schedule in Sindh, says minister as coronavirus cases rise in Karachi

KARACHI: Exams in Sindh would be held as per schedule, the provincial information minister, Nasir Hussain Shah, said late Monday.

In a statement, Shah said Sindh Education Minister Saeed Ghani and PPP leader Nisar Ahmed Khuhro have already made arrangements for the exams. The provincial government was criticised for announcing to close schools, he lamented.

The information minister's comments came shortly after nine new coronavirus cases emerged in Karachi, bumping up the provincial tally up to 14. Six of the new patients had returned to Pakistan from Syria via Doha, Qatar, while the other three arrived from London via Dubai, a spokesperson for the provincial health department explained.

Read more: Nine new coronavirus cases emerge in Karachi, bumping tally up to 14

Earlier today, a 53-year-old man — a resident of Karachi who had returned to Pakistan from Syria via Doha — was diagnosed with the virus and shifted to a quarantine facility alongside his family.

Over the weekend, Ghani, the provincial education minister, had announced that Sindh's schools will be open March 9 onward to allow collection for admit cards for the upcoming Matriculation exams and not for regular classes — which will start on March 16.

The minister had urged staff members of both government and private institutions to ensure their presence at schools beginning March 9 and to collect the admit cards from the Board of Secondary Education (BSE).