Pass percentage was below 20 percent at 1,348 educational institutions, less than 10 percent at 228 institutions and below 5 percent at 34 others. Majority of the institutions is Dakhil madrasa, Education Minister M Osman Farruk told reporters at a post-result press conference at the ministry.

"The ministry is contemplating stringent measures against such institutions," he added.

"Our thrust is not to punish those, but find ways to improve standard of education so that those failing institutes could improve in future," Farruk said adding, "We need to improve curriculum structures and classroom environment to help out those."

Pointing out that the ministry has been able to lower the tendency of cheating at public examinations, he said only 3,381 examinees were expelled from examination halls this year while the number was 13,000 in 2003 and 35,970 in 2002.

Last year education ministry served showcause notices on some 10,000 poor performing institutions, he added.

Many of them have showed reasons including lack of teachers and infrastructure, but now the ministry would see what improvement they have made in this year's examinations, the minister said.

Among others, Education Secretary Faruq Ahmad Siddiqui, chairmen of all educational boards and education ministry officials attended the press briefing.