LAHORE: The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) has banned the social studies books being used by a chain of private schools in its different classes for showing Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) as a part of India in the map of Pakistan printed on them.

The board also lodged a complaint for registration of a criminal case against the administration of the school chain and publisher and producer of the books.

PCTB Managing Director Abdul Qayyum on Thursday issued a notification for banning the books.

The notification says the books on social studies for class II, IV, V, VII and VIII have controversial/objectionable contents, especially with reference to the map of Pakistan.

“These books are hereby banned by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board, Lahore, on the basis of having objectionable and controversial material and have not been approved by the PCTB for the use in educational institutions in any form under Section (10) of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board Act, 2015.”

According to the notification, the Act prohibits that no person shall, except with the prior approval of the board, print, publish, sell or prescribe in an institution any textbook or supplementary material. An application for approval to print, publish, sell or prescribe in an institution a textbook or supplementary material shall be made in such a manner and form and on the payment of such fee as may be prescribed and the board may direct any person to amend, delete or withdraw any portion or the whole of curriculum, textbook or supplementary material. The board may prohibit any person or agency from producing, printing, publishing, selling or using any textbook or supplementary material or any part of it in any institution.

The notification also states that the board shall not approve printing, publication or sale in an institution of any textbook or supplementary material 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.

The PCTB said the books in question must not be used as textbooks, supplementary reading material, reference books or guide books etc at any level.

Mr Qayyum told Dawn all the district executive officers of the province were directed to confiscate all the books from the warehouse of the school branches in their respective areas. He said the map had shown Azad Kashmir as part of the India and it had generated a controversy among teachers and the masses.

He said the board had also lodged a complaint with the Ghalib Market police for registration of a criminal case against the administration of the school chain, publisher and producer of the book.

The action was taken against the books after a former teacher of the Multan branch of the school system, Armaghan Haleem, lodged a complaint against the school chain with reference to the map on the books. The teacher had also sent an appeal to Chief Justice Saqib Nisar to take suo motu notice of the case.

Published in Dawn, June 8th, 2018