24 May 2004	Monday	04 Rabi-us-Saani 1425

LAHORE, May 23: The textbooks controversy deepened further with the Punjab government saying on Sunday that each and every book had been printed with the federal government approval.

"Not a single textbook has been printed by the Punjab Textbook Board without the approval of the Federal Ministry of Education as per rules and regulations," says a handout.

A spokesman of the Punjab government said there was no truth in a PTV report that went on air on Saturday that the PTB chairperson had accepted the responsibility for 'mistakes' in the textbooks in a meeting held in Islamabad.

The handout also quoted the PTB chairperson as saying that she had never uttered such words that implied that the PTB was responsible for the mistakes.

Our Staff Reporter adds: Jamaat-i-Islami Amir Qazi Husain Ahmed says reports that differences between provinces and the federal government over curricula have come to an end are disinformation.

In a press statement on Monday, he said instead of holding to account those playing with the future of the younger generation, the relevant authorities were protecting them. This, he said, had established that a lobby was out to detract the younger generation from the glorious traditions of Islam.