LAHORE:The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board confiscated copies of a social studies book for grade 7 on Monday, ostensibly for printing a picture of Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai in a section featuring important personalities. On Tuesday, the department clarified that the publisher had not been issued a no-objection certificate, which is required for publication.
The book, published by Oxford University Press, featured photographs of founding father Muhammad Ali Jinnah, national poet Muhammad Iqbal, educationist Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, slain prime minister Liaquat Ali Khan and his wife Begum Ra’ana, philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, 1965 war hero Major Aziz Bhatti, and Yousufzai, among others.
Despite the fact that the book had already been distributed to numerous educational institutions, officials raided the OUP office in Gulberg II late Monday and confiscated the whole supply of the book.
Dawn reported, citing a source, that the book has been submitted to the PCTB for assessment and a NOC in 2019.
The board did not approve the book for publication after analysing its contents, but the corporation did publish it nevertheless, according to the report.
Last year, the board mandated all publishers to obtain clearance certifications before publishing any book, as well as imposing a high NOC price for printing SNC textbooks.
It instructed publishers, printers, and schools to obtain clearance and approval before publishing any book from grade 1 to 12, threatening enforcement action under the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Amended Act, 2015, which could include a fine or the filing of criminal charges in the event of a violation.
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