The Anti-Corruption Establishment (ACE) has opened a major inquiry into alleged irregularities worth Rs. 5 billion in the Sindh Textbook Board’s printing contracts for schoolbooks. Officials suspect that contracts meant for free textbook distribution were handed to favoured publishers without following proper bidding rules.
The investigation has gained pace with summons issued to Chairman Parvez Baloch and former secretary Taimoor Khaskheli, who have been directed to appear before ACE Karachi on October 2 with all relevant records.
Reports suggest that the corruption took place during the 2024–25 academic year, with contracts bypassing competitive procedures. ACE has demanded complete documentation, including company NTNs, profiles, bid reports, supply orders, and records of advance payments.
The Sindh Textbook Board annually provides around 5.5 million free books to government schools, making transparency crucial. This scandal raises serious concerns about accountability in the education sector, especially in projects directly linked to students’ access to learning.