KARACHI: The AS-level Business Studies paper of Cambridge International Education (CIE) was reportedly leaked online, raising concerns over the exam security.

The incident comes days after CIE admitted that an Advanced Subsidiary (AS) Mathematics Paper 1 was leaked, saying the question paper was “shared prematurely against our regulations.”

The Business Studies paper, scheduled to be held today, was reportedly leaked and circulated online last night.

One of three examination papers circulating on social media platforms last night was the Business Studies, code “9609 Paper 1”.

In a statement issued on April 30, the CIE said: “We can confirm that Cambridge International AS Level Mathematics Paper 12 (9709), taken in our Africa, Europe, Middle East, Pakistan and South Asia regions, was shared prematurely against our regulations.”

The examination board said it was promptly and thoroughly investigating the incident to understand the extent of the leak and determine next steps regarding the compromised paper.

The CIE had said its priority remained ensuring students were not disadvantaged by the incident while continuing all possible measures to protect examination integrity and maintain confidence in awarded grades.

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• End to Mideast war need of region, wider world: Dar.
• DPM Dar hopes Islamabad Talks to conclude “soon”.
• Dar says objective is “dignified” end to Mideast conflict.
  

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar on Tuesday expressed hope that Pakistan’s efforts to mediate an end to the US-Iran conflict will succeed at the earliest, calling it a necessity for the region and the wider world.

“Whatever has happened so far, it has already dented a global GDP to a great degree,” he told foreign ambassadors and diplomatic corps in Islamabad, saying the end to the conflict in the Middle East was Pakistan’s “goal and aim” as facilitator and mediator.

DPM Dar said that Islamabad was actively working to engage the US and Iran to negotiate a peaceful settlement to their disputes, adding that the country has consistently supported stability and restraint in the Middle East.

DPM Dar noted Islamabad’s global diplomatic outreach for a resolution to the conflict, saying he has discussed the matter with around 120 counterparts worldwide since the start of the war.

The interactions, he said, reflected Pakistan’s seriousness in its efforts to get the US and Iran to reach a truce and put an end to the conflict.

Pakistan emerged as a key mediator between Washington and Tehran after hostilities began on February 28, following US-Israel strikes on Iran.

After six weeks of war, Pakistan brokered a two-week ceasefire on April 8, and later hosted direct talks between the two sides in its federal capital.

In his address, DPM Dar said that the Islamabad Talks, held between April 10 and 11, reached an “advanced level”.

“We still hope that it [Islamabad Talks] will eventually and hopefully very soon conclude,” he added.

Recalling Islamabad’s peace efforts, DPM Dar said that Pakistan has continuously engaged Iran and the US to negotiate for a lasting truce since brokering the ceasefire.

He added that Islamabad managed to bring the US and Iran to the table for direct talks for the first time in 47 years.

DPM Dar said that the country’s mediation efforts had been acknowledged internationally, and that Pakistan remained in constant contact with global stakeholders as part of its responsibilities in promoting peace.

The entire consultative process was aimed at ending the conflict in the Middle East, DPM Dar said, adding that Pakistan continued to act as a bridge between the two sides.

“[The] objective is common… that this conflict ends in a dignified manner. It should be a win-win,” he said.

However, DPM Dar stressed that Islamabad could not get into details of its efforts as a mediator and facilitator due to the sensitive nature of the matter.

His remarks come hours after Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said that talks with the US were making progress with Pakistan’s “gracious effort”, reiterating that there was no military solution to the crisis.

The Iranian foreign minister’s statement followed renewed attacks by Washington and Tehran in the Gulf on Monday as they wrestled for control over the Strait of Hormuz with duelling maritime blockades.

US President Donald Trump launched a new effort to get stranded tankers and other ships through the strait, provoking a promised show of force from Iran, which has threatened to respond to any escalation with new attacks on its neighbours hosting US bases.