Faisalabad: April 4, 2016. (PCP) In an interview to Pakistan Christian Post, Professor Anjum James Paul Chairman Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) has reacted on the textbooks published by Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore (PCTB) in 2016. He has appreciated the authorities of the PCTB for excluding biases against the non-Muslims and their religions from the curriculum and textbooks in various subjects. He said that the change in curriculum and textbooks will transform the Pakistani society from extremism to tolerance. He further said that PMTA was demanding for value based curriculum and textbooks since 2004 to make a tolerant society in Pakistan through education reforms in Pakistan. Pakistani educational environment, curriculum and textbooks have caused serious damages to the national unity and cohesion in Pakistan. Wave of extremism and terrorism has been promoted which segregated the society on the ethnic and religious basis. There have been biases against the Pakistani non-Muslims in the textbooks which have made non-Muslims insecure in their own homeland Pakistan. He said that PMTA meeting with the authorities of PCTB on May 20, 2015 was very fruitful in which recommendations and violation of Article 20, Article 22 (1) and Article 25 (1) was presented to the Chairman PCTB and Director Humanities in the shape of a document identifying the violation and recommendation against each violation from the textbooks. Professor Paul further said that there is still violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan that guarantees; “No person attending any educational institution shall be required to receive religious instruction, or take part in any religious ceremony, or attend religious worship, if such instruction, ceremony or worship relates to a religion other than his own.” The non-Muslim students demand to receive their own religious education in the educational institutions but it is a state of sorrow that the state has not taken up measures for the religious education of non-Muslim students. The beliefs of the majority religion are deliberately being imposed on the non-Muslim students. The non-Muslim teachers and students are in a constant state of fear as they are forced to teach and study the religion which they do not follow. He further said, due to intolerance in the society it is utmost need to make immediate arrangements according to the Constitution of Pakistan for the subject of religious education and teachers for the non-Muslims as it has been in the case of Muslim students. He further said that PMTA has prepared twelve research based documents on the textbooks of Pakistan so far. Besides this documentaries have been prepared on the biased education in Pakistan. He said that more than 60 letters have been mailed to the esteemed offices of the government of Pakistan, provincial governments, Supreme Court of Pakistan and Lahore High Court Lahore to address biases and discrimination against non-Muslim students and teachers from the educational system of Pakistan. PMTA Chairman has received more than forty letters from the concerned quarters. Professor Paul has appreciated and thanked all those persons and organizations that have supported the cause of PMTA to make better Pakistan through education transformation. He said that more efforts have to be made yet because present change in the textbooks is a little ray of hope. A glimpse in the textbooks of English from grade 1 to grade 10 is presented below. English 1 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: Violation of Article 22 (1) and Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan has been addressed in the present textbook. Students of all faiths and beliefs have been treated equally and without any bias in all 34 topics of the present textbook. The textbook which was published in January 2014 violated Article 22 (1) in one of the topics. There is not preaching of any religion or propagation against the faith or followers of any religion. English 2 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: Violation of Article 22 (1) and Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan has been addressed in the present textbook. Students of all faiths and beliefs have been treated equally and without any bias in all 25 units of the present textbook while the textbook which was published in January 2014 violated Article 22 (1) in one of the topics. There is not preaching of any religion or propagation against the faith or followers of any religion. English 3 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: Violation of Article 22 (1) and Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan has been addressed in the present textbook. Students of all faiths and beliefs have been treated equally and without any bias in all 24 units of the present textbook while the textbook which was published in February 2014 violated Article 22 (1) in one of the topics. There is not preaching of any religion or propagation against the faith or followers of any religion. English 4 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: There is violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because one out of 14 chapters propagates and glorifies only the dominant religion of Pakistan violating the rights of the non-Muslim students. There is 7.14 % ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan in the present textbook. There is not even a single word against any religion or followers of any religion in the present textbook. English 5 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: There is violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because one out of 11 chapters propagates and glorifies only the dominant religion of Pakistan violating the rights of the non-Muslim students. There is 9.09 % ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan in the present textbook. Two chapters violated Article 22 (1) in the textbook which was published in January 2014. There is not even a single word against any religion or followers of any religion in the present textbook. English 6 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: There is violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because one out of 13 chapters propagates and glorifies only the dominant religion of Pakistan violating the rights of the non-Muslim students. There is 7.69 % ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan in the present textbook. One chapter violated Article 22 (1) in the textbook which was published in March 2014. There is not even a single word against any religion or followers of any religion in the present textbook. English 7 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: There is violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because two of 14 chapters propagate and glorify only the dominant religion of Pakistan violating the rights of the non-Muslim students. There is 14.28 % ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan in the present textbook. Two chapters violated Article 22 (1) in the textbook which was published in March 2014. There is not even a single word against any religion or followers of any religion in the present textbook. English 8 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: There is violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because two out of 14 chapters propagate and glorify only the dominant religion of Pakistan violating the rights of the non-Muslim students. There is 14.28 % ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan in the present textbook. Two units out of 26 units violated Article 22 (1) in the textbook which was published in March 2014. There is not even a single word against any religion or followers of any religion in the present textbook. English 9 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum And Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: There is violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because three out of twelve units propagate and glorify only the dominant religion of Pakistan violating the rights of the non-Muslim students. There is 25 % ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan in the present textbook. Three units out of twelve units violated Article 22 (1) in the textbook which was published in March 2014. So, ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan remains the same. These are the same units published in March 2014.There is not even a single word against any religion or followers of any religion in the present textbook. English 10 Date of Printing January 2016 Published by: Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board, Lahore Comments: There is violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan because out of 13 units there are two units propagate and glorify only the dominant religion of Pakistan violating the rights of the non-Muslim students. There is 15.38 % ratio of the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan in the present textbook. One out of 13 units violated Article 22 (1) in the textbook which was published in January 2014. So, violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan has been doubled in the present textbook. There is not even a single word against any religion or followers of any religion in the present textbook. (Prof. Anjum James Paul is the Head of Political Science Department at Government Postgraduate College Samundri, District Faisalabad. He has been reviewer of Provincial Review Committees, Textbook Review Committees of Punjab Curriculum Authority and author of PCTB)