The Lahore High Court on Monday issued notices to the caretaker Punjab Chief Minister (CM) Najam Aziz Sethi for disallowing the Punjab Text Book Board (PTBB) from competitively publishing manuscripts and textbooks.
General Secretary PTBB Muhammad Akhtar Sherani’s counsel Hafiz Tariq Nasim pleaded that Najam Sethi as Pakistan Publishers and Booksellers Association (PPBSA) Chairman submitted an application on June 12, 2012 to the former CM Shahbaz Sharif that PTBB should be prevented from developing a manuscript for its own books. However, no action was taken by Shahbaz.
However, when Najam Sethi became the caretaker CM, he acted on a similar application from the PPBSA vice chairman on April 14 and restrained PTTB from working in open competition, providing an edge to private publishers for absolute monopoly. Sethi also ordered a re-advertisement for expression of interest.
The petitioner’s counsel informed the court that earlier, bids were invited through proper advertisements in national newspapers from private publishers and agencies including PTBB on an open competition basis. Hafiz Tariq Nasim further argued that it was a violation of established norm that “No one can be a judge of his own cause”.
Consequently, Justice Shujjat Ali Khan issued notices to the CM for June 3.