ISLAMABAD    -    The federal government on Tuesday assured the Senate that steps were underway to get objectionable material re­moved from the O-level sylla­bus being taught in Pakistan.

Minister for Education and Professional Training Rana Tanveer Hussain informed the house that a notice was being issued to Cambridge to remove the content. “Otherwise, these books will not be allowed to be studied in Pakistan.”

The minister gave these re­marks while responding to a call attention notice, moved by PTI Senators Mohsin Aziz and Faisal Saleem Rahman, over the Soci­ology Course being taught in O-level syllabus under the chapter of ‘Same Sex Family’. Both called content as ‘inappropriate’ and contrary to Islamic and cultural teachings and values of Paki­stani society. The federal min­ister said that govt’s curriculum authority did not examine Cam­bridge textbooks but a govt’s notification gave it the authority to look into such issues. 

“The issue before us is very sensitive, linked with our reli­gious matters, and I don’t see it acceptable in any way,” he said.

Rana Tanveer went on to say that the central government would also write to the provinc­es to take necessary measures in this connection despite its domain being limited after the 18th Amendment. About the national curriculum, the min­ister explained that all three provinces except Khyber Pakh­tunkhwa had reservations over the PTI government’s curricu­lum. He added that the incum­bent government had evolved consensus within a month and now all the four provinces were signatory to the new national curriculum. He added three-four countries, including Hong Kong, who previously were as­sociated with Cambridge, had now opted for Pakistan’s federal exam system, following reforms in it. The minister concluded that the government would take action and update the house on the steps taken to remove this inappropriate content from O-level syllabus. Earlier speak­ing on his call attention notice, Senator Aziz pointed out that in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the chapter on “Same Sex Fam­ily” could not be even discussed in the family system here. What kind of education is being im­parted to underage children, he added. He also read out some portion of the content.

He regretted the terms les­bian and gays had been used in the chapter and wondered, how such things were overlooked by the people concerned. He called for writing to the British Council and other forums to remove this content from the syllabus. The senator urged the chair to give a ruling to monitor as to what steps were being taken by the govt to get such things removed from the O-level syllabus.