Islamabad Authorities Ban Controversial O-Level History Book and Mandate NOC for Syllabus Materials

Authorities in Islamabad, the federal capital of Pakistan, have officially banned the O-Level textbook titled "The History and Culture of Pakistan." The ICT Private Educational Institutions Regulatory Authority (ICT PERA) has issued strict directives to all private schools, requiring the immediate removal of this book from curricula, libraries, and classrooms. In a move to tighten regulatory oversight, the administration announced that private educational institutions are prohibited from including any new books in their syllabus without first obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC). To ensure compliance, surprise inspection teams have been formed to monitor schools for the presence of banned materials. Officials have warned that any institution violating these orders will face legal action and significant fines. Furthermore, authorities plan to conduct raids on bookshops, declaring the sale of unapproved books illegal. This decision reflects a broader effort by local regulators to control educational content and enforce stricter approval processes for academic materials within the private education sector in the capital territory.