By In the revised 2025 Pakistan Studies curriculum for 10th grade in Punjab, a chapter titled “Women’s Contribution to Pakistan’s Success” has been introduced. This chapter highlights the achievements of several prominent women, including Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto, Kulsoom Nawaz, Maryam Nawaz, Fehmida Mirza, Nusrat Bhutto, Lahore High Court Chief Justice Aaliya Neelum, Bilquis Edhi, Arfa Karim, Samina Baig, Shamshad Akhtar, and Nigar Johar Khan.
The inclusion of Maryam Nawaz, the current Chief Minister of Punjab, and her late mother, Kulsoom Nawaz, has sparked debate among netizens. Critics argue that featuring sitting political figures may constitute a misuse of authority, potentially leading to biased educational content.
However, the Punjab School Education Department clarified that the textbook aims to recognize the contributions of various influential women in Pakistan’s history, and the inclusion of Maryam and Kulsoom Nawaz is part of this broader effort. It’s noteworthy that the revised textbook is currently being printed and is intended for the 2025 academic year.
The cover of the new textbook does not match the mockup circulating on social media, which has been identified as fabricated. This development has ignited discussions on the appropriateness of including current political figures in educational materials, with concerns about potential biases and the influence of political authority on academic content.
