Intermediate toppers reject entry test, praise objective exams

* Girls call for equal rights and job opportunities

By Waqar Gillani

LAHORE: The students who secured top positions in the Lahor e Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education (BISE) 2004 intermediate annual exams have rejected entry test for admission in medical and engineering colleges, praised objective multiple choice questions (MCQs) in exams and called for equal rights and opportunities for women.

Talking to Daily Times, Sania Ashraf of the Lahore College for Women University (LCWU), who topped the pre-medical group and secured overall first position, said she wanted to become a neurosurgeon. Sania rejected the entry test system for admissions in the medical and engineering institutions and praised the objective exams. She called for stricter measures to counter cheating, especially in the objective exams. “This is a very good examination system if there is no cheating,” she said. “In objective type exams students have to study the whole course.” She called for equal rights for women. Women had lesser job opportunities in Pakistan, said Sania. Pakistani women should be helped in practical fields, she added.

Fatima Azam of Kinnaird College (KC), who came second in the pre-medical group and secured overall second position, said as her mother and father were also doctors, she got the inspiration to become a doctor from home. “This is also a way to serve others,” Fatima added. She also called for abolishing the entry test system and praised the MCQs exams. She said the government should take steps to create more jobs for women.

“Lesser representation of women in practical fields, especially in engineering, and public transport for women are the main issues,” said Fatima. She said women should have freedom but within religious values. Madiha Fasial of the KC, who came third in the pre-medical group and secured overall third position, said she had worked hard for her success, but not at the cost of her social life.

She said though women had been deprived of their rights in Pakistan, there was a gradual improvement. She also called for more job opportunities and protection of women, especially in practical life. Madiha also rejected entry test system and praised the exams with MCQs.

Sidra Shafiq of the LCWU, topper in the pre-engineering group, wants to become an architectural engineer. She called for equal opportunities for women in practical fields. Saba Shahid of the LCWU and Amna Moazzam of the KC, second and third in the pre-engineering group, also rejected the entry test system.

Zarka Imtiaz of the LCWU, topper in general science group, said she wanted to become a chartered accountant. She called for an improvement in curriculum and praised the MCQ exams.

Aisha Khan and Sadia Ali of Queen Marry College, second and third in the general science group, also called for equal rights and opportunities for women.

Nusaibah Iqbal of the LCWU, first in the arts group, wants to become a religious scholar. She said extra women rights in the West had harmed the institution of family and Pakistani women were safer than those in the West. Aisha Hanif and Halima Sadia of Sharqpur College, second and third in the arts group, wanted to become English teachers. They called for better teacher training in Pakistan.

Amna Saleem, Hina Arif and Amber Iftikhar of Punjab College of Commerce, first, second and third in the commerce group, said they wanted to do MBAs.

Pre-medical (boys): Saad Ajmal of GCU came first with 934 marks. Zohaib Yousaf (921 marks) and Saqib Zia Rana (917 marks), also of the GCU, came second and third.

Pre-medical (girls): Sania Ashraf of the LCWU came first with 957 marks. Fatima Azam and Madiha Faisal of KC got second and third position.

Pre-engineering (boys): Samiullah Aslam came first with 945 marks, Rana Umar Farooq second with 941 marks and Muhammad Fateh Khan Sial third with 940 marks. All were students of the GCU.

Pre-engineering (girls): The LCWU’s Sidra Shafiq and Saba Shahid came first and second with 941 and 934 marks, while Amna Moazzam of KC was third with 921 marks.

General science (boys): Fazal Abbas and Muhammad Sharjeel, both from the GCU, came first and second with 905 and 873 marks. Nabeel Aslam of FC College and University (866 marks) came third.

General science (girls): LCWU student Zarka Imtiaz came first with 930 marks, while Aisha Khan (893 marks) and Sadia Ali (885 marks) of Queen Mary College came second and third.

Commerce (boys): PCC student Muhammad Umair Zubair (894 marks) came first. Hafiz Mubashar Iqbal Hasan (867 marks), a private student from Gulberg III, Lahore, came second and Muhammad Asif (861 marks) of the PCC came third.

Commerce (girls): PCC students Amna Saleem (879 marks), Hina Arif (851marks) and Amber Iftikhar (844 marks) got the top three positions.

Humanities and other groups (boys): Hafiz Sifarish Ali, a private candidate from Darul Aloom Jamia Naeemia, Garhi Shaho, Lahore, came first with 860 marks. Shahzadul Haq of Government Inter College, Sharaqpur, came second with 834 marks and Hamid Sajjad Sial of Quran College for Boys, New Garden Town, Lahore, came third with 828 marks.

Humanities and other groups (girls): Ayesha Qayum of KC and Nusaibah Iqbal of LCWU came first with 874 marks each. Aisha Hanif (863 marks) and Halima Sadia (852 marks), both from Government Girls Higher Secondary School, Sharaqpur, came second and third.

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