100 books banned in Punjab over blasphemous, anti-state content

LAHORE: The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board has banned 100 books from a total 10,000 that were confiscated earlier from institutions for having blasphemous and anti-state content.

According to sources these books were being used at private schools across the province and were printed by 31 publishers including the Oxford University Press Pakistan.

The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board has formed 30 committee to investigate the matter and has ordered that ordered to shut down the publication and sale of these textbooks in Punjab.

Read more: PML-N leader wants school textbooks to include manners.

According to the board’s Managing Director Rai Manzoor Hussain, the 100 books banned in Punjab contained incorrect and even blasphemous and anti-Islam content against the caliphs.

Some of the other mistakes includes incorrect dates for the birth of Quaid-e-Azam and Allama Iqbal and some of the books even shows Azad Kashmir as part of India.

The purpose of the committees that have been formed is to investigate the matter and make sure that these books are not being used at schools for teaching incorrect material to children.

These committees will visit [rivate schools across the Punjab to check it they have stopped using these textbooks and strict action will be taken against violators.

In related news, the Punjab Assembly also passed the Tahaffuz-e-Bunyad-e-Islam Act 2020 on Thursday which gives the lahore Director General of Public Relations (DGPR) power to inspect any printing press, publication house, book store and confiscate any textbook before and after printing.

Furthermore, publishers are now required to provide four copies of their books upon publishing to the authorized officer and the DGPR will also have the power to restrict the import of any print media or allow publication of a book that contains content against the national interest, culture and religion.

Read more: Federal Board announces SSC special examination 2020.

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