100 Textbooks Banned in Punjab Containing Anti-Pakistan and Blasphemous Content.

Punjab Curriculum & Textbook Board (PCTB) Managing Director Rai Manzoor Hussain Nasir banned around 100 curriculum books of Thursday. PCTB stated that these books contain “anti-Pakistan as well as blasphemous” content. However, these books are being taught in a number of private schools.

The board has formed 30 committees to investigate the books. They have been printed by 31 publishers, including Oxford University Press Pakistan. They have been ordered to halt their publishing and sale.

According to Hussain, the banned books contained ‘blasphemous’ and ‘anti-Islamic’ content against the caliphs. The birth dates of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal in the books were incorrect. Also, a number of books shows Azad Kashmir as a part of India in the maps.

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Furthermore, PCTB said that instead of including the sayings of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal, etc. one of the books carried sayings of Mahatma Gandhi and some unknown people.

Moreover, Manzoor informs District Education Authorities (DEAs) across Punjab will visit private schools to check if these books were still being taught. He says FIRs would be registered against the publishers for the violation under the provisions of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act 2015.

On Thursday, the Punjab Assembly passed the Punjab Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Act, 2020. It states that Lahore’s director -general of public relations will have the power to visit and inspect any printing press, publication house, book store, and confiscate any books before or after printing.

Publishers agreed to provide four copies of their books published to the authorized officer the day they are published.