Due to their inclusion of LGBTQ content and inaccurate depictions of Pakistan’s map, some Cambridge textbooks have been prohibited by the Federal Education Ministry.

According to reports, the Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (PEIRA) has banned the printing, publishing, distribution, and teaching of Sociology and The History and Culture of Pakistan in the educational institutions of the federal capital. The educational institutions have been directed to submit an implementation report by May 10.

The history and culture of Pakistan by Nigel Kelly, published by Peck Publishing Limited/Danish Publishing Private Limited, and sociology by Jonathan Blundell of Cambridge University Press, which were being taught at O-levels, are among the textbooks that have been outlawed.

Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry, the federal secretary of education and vocational training, highlighted that these books lacked a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the curriculum wing and that their content went against Pakistani socio-cultural norms.

The printing, publishing, distribution, and instruction of these books are all forbidden, according to a notification from PEIRA, and anyone found in violation of Section Four A of the PEIRA Act may face legal consequences. The administration of the educational institutions must make sure that no institution has access to these texts.

Waseem Ajmal Chaudhry claims that the same-sex marriage content in the sociology book is in opposition to the social and cultural norms of Pakistan. The second book also has a misprinted map of Pakistan and inaccurate descriptions of Pakistan’s political history. In addition, he noted that all textbooks undergo approval by the National Curriculum Council before being used by PEIRA.

Principals and CEOs of all private educational institutions in the nation’s capital have received notifications from PEIRA. The publications were outlawed in accordance with Section Four A of the PEIRA Act after the Ministry of Education also delivered a letter on April 28.