About Oxford University Press Pakistan

About Us

Oxford University Press (OUP)

Oxford University Press (OUP) is a department of the University of Oxford. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. OUP publishes for all audiences‚ from pre-school to secondary level school children; students to academics; general readers to researchers; and individuals to institutions. Its range includes dictionaries, English language teaching materials, children’s books, journals, scholarly monographs, printed music, higher education textbooks, and schoolbooks. OUP has a rich history which can be traced back to the earliest days of printing. The first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, just two years after the first printing press was set up in England. In 1586, the University obtained a decree confirming its right to print books. In 1636 this decree was enhanced entitling the University to publish all manner of books. The policy of OUP is overseen by a group of Delegates appointed from the academic staff of the University. The Delegates meet fortnightly under the chairmanship of the Vice-Chancellor. They are actively involved in the publishing programme. All proposals are referred to them for approval and individual Delegates liaise with editors in their specialist subject areas. The Chief Executive of the Press is responsible for running OUP, is also known by the traditional title of Secretary to the Delegates. Today OUP has offices in more than 50 countries, publishes in more than 90 languages, and is the largest university press in the world.

Established in Pakistan in 1952

The Pakistan Branch of Oxford University Press (OUP) started operations in 1952. The Pakistan branch of Oxford University Press now operates in Pakistan as Oxford University Press Pakistan (SMC-Private) Limited.

Regional offices

The head office of OUP Pakistan is in Karachi with regional offices in Lahore, Islamabad, and Multan. There are bookshops each in Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Quetta, Lahore, Islamabad, Rawalpindi and Abbottabad. OUP Pakistan maintains a representative presence in various cities of Punjab and Sindh provinces.

Teachers and Educators

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Timeline

1951

W.F. Jeffrey, the first Manager of OUP Pakistan moves to Karachi from Bombay to set up the OUP branch in Karachi.

1952

OUPP starts its operations in Pakistan from a single room in Hotel Metropole, where W.F. Jeffrey had also taken up his residence.
Office shifts from Hotel Metropole to Badri Building at a monthly rent of Rs. 94/-
Dragon Book of Verse Part II prescribed for the Matriculation course.
Herbert Strong prescribed for both intermediate Art and Science.
Clarendon English, Lamb; Mulgan and Davin
An Introduction to English Literature; Hicks
- Clarendon English, Lamb; Mulgan and Davin
- An Introduction to English Literature; Hicks
- Introduction to Economic Theory; Stembridge
- The World; Skeats
- Physical and Human Geography; Bygott
- Practical Geography Map Work

1953

Beyond the Sunset prescribed by Punjab for Matriculation.
University Tutorial Press (UTP) signs on with OUPP, making them their agents in the country.

1955

Ginn & Company Educational Publishers signs with OUPP as its principal.

1956

Date set for closing down OUP operations in Pakistan.
Philip Chester takes charge after the first Manager is charged with financial disparities. Branch is to be kept operational, but Lahore office is closed down to cut overhead costs.
John Rendall takes charge of OUPP as General Manager.
A travelling representative, Mr Talat Mahmud, is appointed in Lahore to promote OUPP and its agents, books in the absence of a branch.

1957

Ronald Ridout, an OUP author, arrives in Pakistan and visits many of the schools and colleges to promote his book.

1959

Harrap & Co Ltd and Heinemann come to OUPP as principals.
OUP Pakistan boasts of a regional atlas in the form of Oxford School Atlas for Pakistan, which is considered as the authoritative atlas of the country.

1960

Lahore Office is reopened in the Al-Sarwar building with Mir Wajid Ali as the Branch Manager.

1961

The Pakistan Government reorganizes its syllabi in primary and secondary schools and selects Oxford books, adopted by local authors, for teaching English throughout the country. Crescent Readers become the basis for the new course to be written.

1964

Neal Edmund Burton takes charge of OUPP.
OUPP publishes its first commissioned series, Ahmed and Rehana, by Patricia Clements.

1965

OUPP’s The Prisoner of Zenda is prescribed by the Textbook Board.

1966

First raid is conducted against pirated books in Lahore by Mir Wajid Ali and the police.

1967

Ayub Khan’s Friends, Not Masters is published by OUP Pakistan.
Edward Fitzgerald becomes General Manager of the branch.

1968

Ahmed and Rehana Series for Junior schools is finally completed and work begins on Middle School Readers.
The Bengali edition of Friends, Not Masters is launched.
OUP Pakistan gets Afghanistan and Iran as additional Sales Territories.
Nigel Sisson appointed as the Genral Manager of OUP Pakistan branch.

1969

Lahore office is attacked by a mob and stock room is also set on fire and books particularly Friends, Not Masters by Ayub Khan are destroyed.
David Cunningham takes charge of OUPP

1970

OUPP accepts its first scientific textbook for college students, Chordate Zoology.
OUPP opens up its first showroom in Saddar, Karachi, called Pakistan Co-operative Books Society, stocking only OUPP Books.

1971

Winchester Book of Verse prescribed by the University of Karachi as compulsory for B.A.
OUP Pakistan is divided as the result of the division of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Manzurul Islam becomes the head of OUP Bangladesh.
John Brown, the Publisher, and Mrs John Brown visit Pakistan.

1973

Anthony Moggach takes over OUPP as General Manager.

1974

Lahore Office is closed down after the retirement of Mir Wajid Ali.

1975

Tim Benbow takes over as OUPP Manager.

1976

OUPP becomes the representative of Ginn in Afghanistan as well.

1977

Urdu Workbooks Gulistan-e-Urdu for primary schools and Nirdaban-e-Urdu for Secondary School published.
Oswin Mascarenhas takes charge as the Acting Manager from September 1977 to October.

1978

Charles Lewis is appointed head of OUPP

1979

Zia Hussain and Ameena Saiyid join OUPP

1980

Piracy raid takes place in Urdu Bazaar, Lahore under M.A. Javaid, OUPP Lahore Representative and CIA.
Zia Hussain becomes Acting Manager of OUP Pakistan.

1982

OUPP celebrates 30 years in Pakistan by holding Book Fairs across the country.
Kashif Urdu is launched by OUPP – a popular series
OUP Pakistan headquarters shift to 5 Bangalore Town, Sharae Faisal, Karachi.
OUP Pakistan gets its first IBM 23, thus entering the modern age.

1984

OUPP reaches the ten million rupee book sales mark for the first time.

1985

OUPP takes part in the first ever UK Publishers Bookfair.
OUPP Staff takes part in a two week intensive course for bookshop sales and managerial staff conducted by Robert Martin, Bookseller Training Office, British Book Development Council, and sponsored by the British Council.

1987

Progressive Maths makes an appearance after OUPP adapts it for the regional schools.

1988

Ameena Saiyid takes charge of OUPP as Managing Director.

1989

New Agreement drawn up between Ginn and OUPP on 10th February 1989 to allow distribution to Pakistani or Indian Schools based in the Middle East.
The Young Scientist Investigates, Stories from South Asia, Oxford History Project, The Oxford Progressive English Readers and Exploring Science are launched.

1990

Book 1 of the new original course, Oxford Primary Science, a series of five books by Nicholas Horsburgh is launched. The book is designed and illustrated completely in Pakistan.

1991

Shanul Haq Haqqee signed on by OUPP for the translation of Concise Oxford Dictionary into Urdu.
The Islamabad Branch of OUPP is opened.
Secretary to the Delegates, Sir Roger Elliot visits OUPP with Roger Boning.
Supplementary Readers developed, published and also readers to state schools under World Bank Project.
OUPP launches Oxford Pakistan Paperback Series. First three titles include
- Pakistan: The Formative Phase
- The Pakistan Army
- War and Succession: India, Pakistan and the Creation of Bangladesh

1993

Tiger’s Eye, an English-teaching aid, consisting of bilingual books and three audio cassettes is launched in Pakistan in collaboration with BBC.

1994

Vice Chancellor Sir Peter North visits OUP Pakistan and India.

1995

Two acres of land purchased in Korangi for OUPP Head office.

1997

OUPP celebrates 50 years of Pakistan by publishing “The Jubilee Series” of 37 titles.
OUPP launches its first website.
James Arnold Baker, Secretary to the Delegates and CEO, visits Pakistan – inaugurates the Warehouse in Korangi
Ameena Saiyid and James Arnold Baker meet British Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh during their Pakistan visit to celebrate 50 years of Independence.

1998

The Oxford Book Festival is launched and becomes an annual event.

1999

Ground Breaking Ceremony of the Korangi Head office by Bapsi Sidhwa.

2000

Launch of book on G. M. Syed by M. S. Korejo in Karachi
Oxford Social Studies for Pakistan author Nicholas Horsborugh conducting a workshop for teachers

2002

OUPP holds a month-long Oxford Book Festival in 19 cities.

2003

Islamabad Bookshop inaugurated.
Park Towers Bookshop inaugurated.

2004

A full-fledged Marketing Department was established at OUP Head Office, Karachi.

2005

Inauguration of OUPP building, Karachi, by Henry Reece, Secretary to the Delegates and Chief Executive Oxford University Press

2006

OUP Pakistan Bookshop in Urdu Bazaar, Karachi, inaugurated.
OUPP Mobile Bookshop hits the road.
Oxford Book Festival, held at Skardu, Gilgit-Baltistan

2007

OUPP published President Ayub Khan’s diaries—Diaries of Field Marshal Ayub Khan.
A large number of academic and scholarly books as well as children’s books were published to celebrate 60 years of Pakistan’s independence, including the largest number of books on Quaid-i-Azam Mohammad Ali Jinnah. A series of books called Azeem Pakistani was published in Urdu, which included short biographies of M.A. Jinnah, Fatima Jinnah, Raana Liaquat Ali Khan, Abdus Sattar Edhi, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, and Dr Akhtar Hameed Khan.
Shamlu Dudeja, author of Countdown Maths, visits OUP, Karachi

2008

Anti-piracy protest walk was organised in Karachi
OUP Pakistan Nazimabad Bookshop set up.
OUP Pakistan Lahore Mini Market bookshop opened up.

2009

OUPP Bookshop opens up in Quetta.
OUPP Faisalabad bookshop and office opened.

2010

Opening of a bookshop in Sargodha.
Opening of a bookshop in Hyderabad.
Opening of a bookshop in Sukkur.
Opening of an office in Peshawar.
The first ever Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) is held in collaboration with British Council.

2011

Opening of a bookshop at Khalid bin Waleed Road, Karachi.
Opening of a bookshop in Multan.
The first ever Children’s Literature Festival (CLF) is held in Lahore in collaboration with Idara-e-Taleem-o-Aagahi (ITA).

2012

Opening of a bookshop in Rahimyar Khan.
CLFs held in held in Quetta and Peshawar.
Launch of the first ever OUP Pakistan Mobile Libraries
OUP Pakistan celebrates 60 years of Publishing in Pakistan by inaugurating a Museum of Publishing at the Head Office in Karachi.

2013

Oxford Sales Academy (OSA) introduced in OUP Pakistan.
The first ever Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) is held in Islamabad.
CLFs held in Bahawalpur, Karachi, Islamabad, and Lahore.

2014

OUP Pakistan wins The UK Publishers Association Copyright Protection Award

2015

Launch of Oxford Teachers’ Academy (OTA) in Pakistan.
Launch of Oxford Big Read (OBR) in schools in Pakistan.
OUPP organized the first ever Teachers’ Symposium for school teachers on Teaching 21st Century Skills at Murree and Bhurban.

2016

Launch of Oxford Quality (OQ) in schools in Pakistan.
CLFs held in Sukkur and Hyderabad

2017

KLF London was held in London’s Southbank Centre (Alchemy Festival).
Launch of the Platinum Series comprising 70 books to celebrate 70 years of Pakistan
Launch of the first ever OUP Pakistan Mobile Library Rickshaw.
Inauguration of a bookshop at Dolmen Mall, Clifton, Karachi
Closure of Oxford bookshops at Centaurus Mall, Islamabad; Dera Ghazi Khan; and CSD Mall, Rawalpindi.
Launch of Oxford Genuine Books (OGB) in schools in Pakistan.
CLFs held in Larkana, Mithi, and Shaheed Benazirabad (Nawabshah).

2018

Launch of Dragonfly Readers, a new 9-levelled graded reading series which promotes reading for pleasure and develops reading comprehension skills, while exploring Asian cultural themes and values.
The inauguration of purpose-built warehousing facility known as the Lahore Distribution Centre (LDC) in Lahore.
CLFs held in Turbat, and Multan.
Ameena Saiyid retires after thirty years of serving as OUP Pakistan’s Managing Director and its Chair.

2019

Fathima Dada, Managing Director, Education, Oxford University Press visits Karachi Head Office
Inauguration of Oxford Bookshop at Park Towers, Clifton, Karachi
Inauguration of a new warehouse at Lahore
Global Job Classification system introduced in OUP Pakistan
Implementation of New Gratis Stock Management System
OUP receives an award for contribution to Children’s Literature Festival
OUP partners with the Quetta Literary Festival
OUP Pakistan has launched its official Instagram and Twitter accounts.

2020

COVID-19 Pandemic strikes in Pakistan. First nationwide lockdown took place.
First Virtual Islamabad Literature Festival (ILF) was organized.
Single National Curriculum launched in Pakistan.

2021

First Hybrid Karachi Literature Festival (KLF) was successfully held.
No Objection Certificates (NOCs) obtained for Primary level textbooks and supplementary reading My E-Mate launched with enhanced e-book solution with complete homework and assessment functionality and data analytics dashboards.

2022

Inaugurated by the President of Pakistan, KLF 2022 commemorated 75 years of the independence of Pakistan. It also commemorated 70 years since the establishment of Oxford University Press in this country.
Fathima Dada visits Lahore for the Annual Conference.
Single National Curriculum for Seconday classes announced by National Curriculum Council (NCC).
A premium digital education solution, Oxford Elevate launched with the most comprehensive library of ebooks and educational videos, games, animations and assessments along with remedial student and classroom performance data and analytics.
Digital Portfolio was launched in Karachi, Islamabad and Lahore showcasing My E-mate, Oxford Reading Buddy, Oxford Extend
Learning Carnival held at Oxford Bookshop at Park Towers, Clifton, Karachi.
Long Service Award Ceremony was held in Karachi and Lahore to commemorate the illustrious service of the OUP employees

2023

The launch of OxfordAQA in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad, Pakistan. OxfordAQA, an exam board that offers globally recognized qualifications designed especially for international schools. It is a partnership between Oxford University Press (a department of University of Oxford) and AQA, UK’s largest provider of GCSEs and A levels.
Learning Camp was held at the Oxford Bookshop, Park Towers, Clifton, Karachi.
The Global Product Innovation Award for My E-Mate E-Bookshelf, has been awarded to the digital products team.
Education Sales and Marketing Excellence Awards 2023 were awarded to Global Salesperson of the year Kashif Khan and Divisional Most valued player (MVP) in Marketing Afnan Khan.