LAHORE: Provincial Schools and Education Minister Rana Mashhood Ahmad Khan has constituted a committee to look into complaints about hate material in ‘unapproved textbooks’.

He was chairing a meeting at the Committee Room of the Children’s Library Complex here on Thursday. Secretary Schools Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik, Special Secretary Rana Hassan Akhtar, Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board MD Abdul Qayyum as well as officials of departments were present.

The participants in the meeting reviewed the issue of alleged hate material in unapproved textbooks.

The minister directed the authorities that ‘non-textbooks’ would not be allowed for sale in the market without prior NOC of the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) and to ensure that no such material should be included in the books.

He constituted a special committee headed by Secretary Schools Dr Allah Bakhsh Malik to review books of schools and colleges. He said steps should be taken for prompt police action against the persons responsible for the publication of such material.

Similarly, the meeting also directed the Punjab Higher Education Commission to check the presence of any hate material in suggestive study books under its scope.

The representative of the department told the meeting that subject-wise committees would be constituted to identify any hate material. These committees will study books carefully and report to the higher authorities.

Earlier, PCTB MD Abdul Qayyum gave a detailed briefing on the departmental actions taken against the publications of hate material and said 34 FIRs had been lodged since 2014.

Published in Dawn, November 17th, 2017