Of approximately 98,000 eligible students, only around 7,000 have applied, leaving nearly 91,000 without admission, according to Professor Dr. Naveed Rab Siddiqui, Sindh’s Director General of Colleges.

Students say that despite having the necessary merit, they were not allotted seats in their preferred colleges and are now awaiting adjustments in the merit list or claim-process — both of which have been ruled out this year.

No changes will be made to the current merit list clarified Dr. Siddiqui. He firmly stated that students must accept the institutions they have been assigned.
He emphasized that past years allowed merit revisions, but this year the process is final and cannot be altered.

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“Wherever a student has been allotted a seat, they must complete the admission process at that institution,” said Dr, Siddiqui

The reason students are not submitting their admission forms is because many families refuse to accept their allotted colleges and are waiting for a prospect of seats in preferred institutions. Earlier issues such as lowered merit at top colleges and technical glitches in admission software have eroded trust among students. Despite mounting complaints, no functional claim centre is in operation this year to resolve admission-related grievances.

Reddit forums and student groups across Karachi express widespread concern:

“Are board exams this corrupt everywhere in Pakistan?” — posts allege systemic irregularities tied to flawed merit allocation by BIEK and handouts favoring mates and relatives.

With admission deadlines passed and most students yet to submit forms, Karachi stands on the brink of an intermediate admissions crisis. As students wait anxiously and administrators hold firm, families hope for fair access in what has become one of the education sector’s most serious challenges in recent memory.