KP minister accused of using unfair means in exams

PESHAWAR: A letter circulating on social media indicates that the KP Higher Education Minister was allegedly involved in using unfair means during the first semester LLB exams.

Mina Khan, a student of Frontier Law College, affiliated to the University of Peshawar, was accused of cheating on a paper and was summoned before the disciplinary examination commission in January 2024, just before the elections.

A letter from the University of Peshawar published on January 9 surfaced saying that it allegedly used unfair means while examining LLB in professional development papers. “You are directed to appear before the Disciplinary Examination Committee on January 30, 2024 at the University of Peshawar and defend the charges against you. In the event of failure to appear before the commission, it will be considered that you have no defense to present; as a result, a decision by the ex-party will be taken against you,” the letter said.

Hizb Ullah, controller of examinations at the University of Peshawar, said: “Yes, it is true and it happened in January 2024, before the elections. He was released from the case by the exam disciplinary committee as there was no cheating material attached to the paper.

When contacted, Higher Education Minister Mina Khan confirmed that he had received the notice and appeared in January this year before the EDC. “They told me I had made a mess in the exam room,” he said.

“I told them that I was the oldest among my fellow students and that it was possible that I had created disorder in the room,” he said, adding: “However, the committee cleared and declared me successful in the exam.

He said this letter should also be seen in the context after May 9, when the election phase began and PTI candidates were barred from participating in the elections. He said it was a plot against him to exclude him from the elections.

When asked why the letter was made public now, he replied: “There are many elements conspiring against me because I have taken strict action within the Department of Higher Education. Some elements are unhappy with the cancellation of the vice-chancellor recruitment process. They want to target me,” he said.