KARACHl: Sindh Education Minister Jam Mehtab Dahar on Thursday blamed the `cheating mafia` for making an `unsuccessful attempt` during the ongoing Intermediate examinations to defame his ministry, claiming his officials took timely measures to foil the `ugly move`.

The rampant unfair means adopted during the Intermediate examinations in Sindh, panicularly in Karachi, and widely publicised in the media shook the provincial administration, forcing Chief Minister Murad Ali Shah to order the Counter-Terrorism Department to launch a crackdown on the mafia involved in it.

Mr Shah himself visited examination centres the other day and passed further orders to ban the carrying of mobile phones at centres.

Mr Dahar visited the Government Islamia Girls Degree College Saddar during the examination where he claimed the situation had improved.

`Officials in my ministry have taken timely measures to foil the ugly move of the mafia aimed at defaming us,` he said while speaking to media.

During his visit he saw bulbs were missing in many classrooms, at which he gave Rs2,000 out of his own pocket to get new bulbs for the classrooms immediately.

He said there was a mess in the past [when Dr Ishratul Ibad was the governor] when Governor House would keep interfering in the matters which should be taken care of by the provincial government.