'Same-sex family': Pakistan objects to 'highly objectionable' chapter in Cambridge book

Islamabad: Rana Tanveer Hussain, the Federal Minister for Education and Professional Training, said a letter is being written to Cambridge to remove a “highly objectionable” chapter about “same-sex family” in an O-level sociology book.

This comes after Pakistani Senators Mohsin Aziz and Faisal Saleem Rehman raised concerns over the contents of the book. According to them, it is contrary to Islamic and cultural teachings and values of Pakistani society, The News reported.

“We are immediately writing to Cambridge to either delete the related chapter or we shall not allow such books here. The government will also write to the provinces to take necessary measures in this connection,” the minister said.

He asserted that the content of the book had nothing to do with Pakistan and its values and culture.

The Shehbaz Sharif-led government has evolved a consensus on the national curriculum, Hussain stated, adding that during the Imran Khan’s regime apart from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, the other three provinces of Pakistan had reservations.

He added that today all the provinces are signatories to the new national curriculum.

He further stated that multiple countries, including Hong Kong, which were previously associated with Cambridge, have now opted for Islamabad’s federal exam system following reforms, The News reported.

‘Same-Sex Family’

The chapter on “same-sex family” could not be discussed even in family system in Pakistan, Senator Mohsin Aziz said. “What kind of education is being imparted to a child, hardly 14, 15 and 16 years old”, he asked.

While reading out some portions of the content of the book, he regretted terms like lesbian and gays used in the chapter. He further wondered how such things were looked at by the Cambridge authorities.

Education Minister uses cuss words at convocation

Recently, Pakistan’s Education Minister Rana Tanveer Hussain was in news after a video of him using inappropriate language during the convocation at the Government College University (GCU), Lahore, went viral.

In the video, Hussain can be heard telling the convocation’s attendees that he once met Rana Iqrar, the vice chancellor of a Faisalabad agriculture university, and telling him that although members of the Rana tribe are regarded as rulers, you (********) work in the agriculture sector.

Later, the Pakistani minister said that it was a slip of tongue, and he felt sorry about it.

“Yesterday at GC University Lahore, I had a slip of tongue during my speech. I feel sorry about that and take my words back,” he tweeted.

(With inputs from agencies)

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