The Sindh High Court (SHC) on Thursday extended its interim order suspending the results of the Combined Competitive Examination (CCE)-2024 till June 9 after the Sindh Public Service Commission (SPSC) informed the court that the entire examination record had been sealed in compliance with earlier directives.
A two-judge constitutional bench comprising Justice Muhammad Saleem Jessar and Justice Nisar Ahmed Bhanbhro heard multiple petitions challenging the CCE-2024 results announced by the SPSC on May 6.
During the hearing, the SPSC submitted compliance reports stating that all relevant records, including attendance sheets, answer scripts, award sheets, and mark sheets, had been sealed to ensure transparency and confidentiality during the proceedings.
The court also allowed petitioners to implead the 70 successful candidates as respondents in the case. Officials of the SPSC and a provincial law officer waived notices in two newly filed identical petitions.
The SPSC questioned the maintainability of the petitions, arguing that aggrieved candidates had an adequate legal remedy through representations and appeals under the relevant rules.
The commission maintained that the results process was not yet final, as only written examination results had been announced, while interviews were still pending.
According to the SPSC, 4,340 candidates appeared in the written examination, but only 70 qualified after securing the required minimum marks.
The commission said independent subject specialists from across the country checked the answer scripts and denied any influence over the marking process.
The petitioners alleged irregularities in the examination process and claimed that deserving candidates were ignored while “blue-eyed” candidates were declared successful.
During the proceedings, Justice Jessar remarked that “the murder of merit” was a greater crime than murder itself. At the same time, Justice Bhanbhro criticised the SPSC for allegedly failing to learn from past judicial observations against the commission.
The SHC directed that the interim order passed earlier would remain in force until the next hearing on June 9.
