Punjab board bans 100 textbooks over serious mistakes

The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) Thursday imposed a ban on a hundred books of private publishers over serious mistakes.

The banned books carry misinformation about Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, Allama Iqbal, Kashmir and Pakistan.

Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s birth year is misprinted as 1976 and Allama Muhammad Iqbal’s birth month as October.

The PCTB managing director said the banned books carry Karamchand Gandhi’s sayings in place of Muhammad Ali Jinnah’s quotes.

He issued stern warning against publications without approval. On Wednesday, a booklet series titled ‘Infant Mathematics’ was banned in violation of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act 2015 section 10.

The section reads: “No person shall, except with the prior approval of the Board, print, publish, sell or prescribe in an institution any textbook or supplementary material.

“Secondly, an application for approval to print, publish, sell or prescribe in an institution a textbook or supplementary material shall be made in such manner and form and on the payment of such fee as may be prescribed.

“Thirdly, the Board may direct any person to amend, delete or withdraw any portion or the whole of curriculum, textbook or supplementary material.

Fourthly, the Board may prohibit any person or agency from producing, printing, publishing, selling or using in an institution any textbook or supplementary material or any part of it,

“Fifthly, the Board shall not approve the printing, publication, selling or prescribing in an institution of any textbook or supplementary material which is or is likely to be detrimental for examination or assessment purposes, or which contains anything repugnant to the injunctions of Islam, or contrary to the integrity, defence or security of Pakistan or any part of Pakistan, public order or morality.

“Sixthly if the Board issues a direction or prohibition under subsections (3) or (4) to a person or an agency, such person or agency shall, within the time specified by the Board, submit an implementation report to the Board.”