HYDERABAD, June 9: The newly appointed chairman of the Sindh Textbook Board, Professor Anwar Ahmed Zai, has said that the supplier of imported paper to the board, Iqra Enterprises, has been blacklisted.

He added that legal action against the firm was in process for recovery of losses sustained by the board due to violation of agreement by the supplier. In a statement issued here on Wednesday, Mr Zai said that the selection of a publisher for next year's textbooks would be made at the end of July or beginning of August.

He said that the publishers would have sufficient time for printing books and making them available in the market before the beginning of the next academic session.

He said that the publishers/printers, who would abide by their commitment for supplying the remaining quantity of books to the board up to June 30, would be considered for next selection.

He made it clear that those who failed to honour their commitment would be ruled out in the next allocations. He said that the board had sustained huge losses due to the closure of its printing press and its board of governors would be asked to discuss the issue.