The Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB) on Monday confiscated the social studies book for grade 7 published by the Oxford University Press (OUP). The seized grade 7 book had a list of important personalities featured the photo of Malala Yousufzai alongside that of 1965 war hero Maj Aziz Bhatti Shaheed.
In the seized grade 7 book Pictures of some important personalities alongside Malala had been published on page 33 of the book. These included Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah, national poet Allama Iqbal, Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Liaqat Ali Khan, legendary philanthropist Abdul Sattar Edhi, Begum Raana Liaquat Ali Khan, Nishan-i-Haider recipient Maj Aziz Bhatti Shaheed and activist Malala Yousufzai.
The book had been distributed to various educational institutes, sources reported. Nonetheless, the PCTB, police, and other authorities were reportedly conducting raids on shops across the city. Even as the report filed to seize copies for publishing Malala’s picture alongside Aziz Bhatti’s.
A team of officials raided the OUP office in Mini Market, Gulberg, on Monday. Moreover, they reportedly confiscated the entire stock of the book. They also handed the press a letter stating that the book did not receive a No-Objection Certificate (NOC).
According to Dawn, the book had been submitted to the PCTB for review in 2019 and to request a NOC. After reviewing its contents, the board decided not to publish it. Although OUP has not granted a NOC, they published the book. PCTB officials, police, and other agencies had reportedly visited a shop. They inquired about the book and read out the orders about the confiscation of the book.
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As of last year, the PCTB banned 100 books for being “against” the two-nation theory or “unethical and illegal”.
It had stated that some of the books had not printed even the correct date of birth of Quaid-i-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah and poet Allama Iqbal. In addition to this, a few others had “blasphemous material” and inaccurate maps of the country. Besides that, there are 36 districts in Punjab, but some books only mentioned 35.
Education activist Malala is to star on British Vogue’s July 2021 cover, the magazine announced last month. According to the details, Malala, in the interview, spoke about “everything from her post-uni wobbles to her move into TV production and her eloquent thoughts on wearing the headscarf – and even her trepidation about love and relationships”. A new side to Malala revealed.
Story Courtesy: Dawn
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