The portal will be restored for local users, while overseas access will remain read-only until further notice, the CEO says
KARACHI:
The Inter Board Committee of Chairmen (IBCC) has suspended the verification of matriculation and intermediate certificates nationwide following a directive from the National Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) regarding potential cyber threats.
According to an IBCC announcement, the verification and equivalence process for O and A level certificates has also been temporarily halted and other online verification services have been disabled as a precautionary measure.
The suspension has created difficulties for thousands of students across the country, including those in major cities like Karachi, Lahore, Quetta and Islamabad, who require verification of matric and intermediate certificates or equivalence for O and A levels.
Students applying abroad have also been affected as verification and equivalency services continue to be disrupted.
Officials noted that manual verification and equivalence processes had already been discontinued, making it impossible to revert to the old system.
Meanwhile, IBCC has restricted its verification and equivalence portal to “read-only mode.” Only previously registered users can log in to see the status of their cases, while no new applications were accepted.
The CERT advisory was reportedly issued last week following cyber attacks targeting the websites of several Pakistani television channels and government institutions.
IBCC’s managing director Dr. Ghulam Ali Mallah said the portal is being restored for users in Pakistan, while overseas users will continue to have access only in read-only mode for now.
