Shafqat Mehmood slams Saad Rafique, Ahsan Iqbal over 'cheap' exam politics

• Shafqat Mehmood says PML-N's Saad Rafique and Ahsan Iqbal are "playing politics with students to gain cheap popularity."
• Why should hardworking students be discriminated against? Stop cheap politics, says Mehmood.
• Ahsan Iqbal had said that students are depressed, committing suicide because exams have been announced on very short notice. 

ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister of Education and Professional Training Shafqat Mehmood on Friday slammed the PML-N and said that the party — which is "breaking up" — is "playing politics with students to gain cheap popularity."

Taking to Twitter, the minister criticised PML-N leaders Ahsan Iqbal and Saad Rafique and said that they know that exams have already taken place in Balochistan and Sindh, therefore, other students cannot be treated differently.

"They know that [the] decision to take exams was taken unanimously by all federating units, including PML-N's govt in AJK, and PPP in Sindh," he wrote. 

"They know that students cannot be promoted on the basis of previous exams as there were no exams last year."

The minister further said that Saad Rafique and Ahsan Iqbal should know if they claim to be educated that exams are the best measure of students' ability.

He said that it is crucial for students of class 12 to take the exams as they have to go to universities and professional colleges.

"Why should hardworking students be discriminated against. Stop cheap politics," the minister wrote.

Mehmood wrote that the two leaders should know that after the 18th amendment, out of the 30 educational boards across the country, only one board, i.e. the federal board, was given to the federal government, while other boards are governed by the respective provinces and other bodies.

"Yet they [Ahsan Iqbal and Saad Rafique] were pretending that one order from a federal minister can stop exams across the country. Again just a failed attempt at cheap politics," the minister wrote while censuring the statements of the PML-N leaders. 

Mehmood reminded students that exams would be commencing from tomorrow (July 10) in the remaining provinces and federating units. 

"Wish all students taking exams from tomorrow the very best. Inshallah, all will do well," he wrote. 

"Those students who say give more time can always appear in supplementary exams taken 2/3 months by all boards. Why should these exams be postponed and students who have been studying be penalised?" 

Students depressed, committing suicide because of exam pressure: Ahsan Iqbal

A day earlier, Ahsan Iqbal, while speaking during a session of the National Assembly, had said that "hundreds of students are depressed and are forced to commit suicide because of the pressure of exams."

He said that ideally, students should be given at least two to three months to prepare for exams, but the PTI government issued the date sheet for exams only 20 days before the exams, thus putting too much pressure on the students. 

Iqbal added that students did not get equal opportunities due to online classes and the smart subjects could not be covered.

“Tens of students are looking towards the Assembly to take an appropriate decision. Those belonging to the lower-middle class and studying in government schools could not get sufficient time to cover the syllabus. He demanded a 45-day delay in Intermediate examinations so that the students could get proper time to prepare themselves.

On the other hand, Rafique said "politics should not be involved in the sensitive issue of Intermediate examinations. He demanded a six to eight weeks delay in the conduct of examinations. 

The PML-N member said that due to severe load-shedding across the country, the students could also not avail online classes. He asked the speaker to call Shafqat Mahmood to respond to questions.

Despite the arguments of the Opposition members to delay the exam, the federal government had rejected the demand.