PHC directs Peshawar board to produce original answer sheet of student awarded zero marks 

The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the Controller of Examinations of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education

PESHAWAR: The Peshawar High Court (PHC) has directed the Controller of Examinations of the Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) Peshawar to present the original answer sheet of a ninth-grade student who received zero marks in the theory portion of his Biology examination.

The order was issued during the hearing of a petition filed by ninth-grade student Abdul Moeez, who challenged the decision of the Peshawar Board to award him zero marks in the Biology-I theory examination. The student approached the court after expressing concerns over the unusual result and seeking access to his marked answer sheet.

The case was heard by a two-member bench comprising Senior Puisne Judge Ijaz Anwar and Justice Babar Sattar. During the proceedings, the petitioner was represented by advocates Aminur Rehman Yousafzai and Mohammad Arif Khan.

The student’s lawyers argued that Abdul Moeez had performed exceptionally well in his other subjects, securing an A+ grade and approximately 90 per cent marks in most of them. However, despite his strong overall academic performance, he was awarded zero marks in the Biology theory paper.

Advocate Aminur Rehman Yousafzai told the court that the student had obtained 23 out of 25 marks in the multiple-choice questions and practical component of Biology. According to the counsel, the result raised serious questions because the student had demonstrated a strong understanding of the subject in other parts of the examination but was given no marks in the theory section.

The lawyer further informed the court that the student had formally applied for rechecking of his Biology paper. He also requested permission from BISE Peshawar to inspect the marked answer sheet so that the student could understand the basis for the zero marks.

However, the board informed the student that no rules had yet been formulated allowing candidates to inspect their evaluated answer scripts. The counsel questioned this position and referred to examination practices at the National University of Sciences and Technology (NUST), where students are reportedly allowed to review their marked papers.

The lawyer also pointed out that similar practices exist in several other countries, where students can inspect their examination scripts after evaluation. Justice Ijaz Anwar observed that such procedures were followed in various educational systems and noted the importance of transparency in the examination process.

The petitioner’s counsel requested the court to order the education board to produce the original marked answer sheet. He said the student would be satisfied if the court itself examined the paper and determined whether the award of zero marks was justified.

The counsel also raised concerns that the student’s Biology answer sheet could potentially have been misplaced or mishandled, which might have resulted in the unusual award of zero marks.

Following the arguments, the bench issued a written order directing the Controller of Examinations of BISE Peshawar to produce the student’s original Biology answer sheet before the court.

According to the written order, a copy of which is available , the matter will be taken up again on August 25, when the board is required to present the original examination script.

The court’s directive is expected to provide clarity on the circumstances surrounding the student’s zero marks and could also raise broader questions about transparency and students’ access to their evaluated examination papers.