Faisalabad: February 11, 2015. ((PCP) The Chairman Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association (PMTA) Professor Anjum James Paul in a letter Ref.No.05-09/PMTA/15 , dated February 11, 2015 to Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, Prime Minister of Pakistan demanded for unbiased National Education Policy, curriculum and textbooks In the letter Professor Paul has appreciates the decision to review the National Education Policy 2009 and National Curriculum 2006-2007. He further said, “It is utmost need of the time for the success and completion of the agenda of the National Action Plan 2014 to review National Education Policy 2009 and National Curriculum 2006-2007 which have caused serious damages to the nation in the shape of textbooks which are the main source of extremism in Pakistan. “ He continued saying in the letter, “PMTA provided feedback to Gen (R) Javed Ashraf Qazi, the then Federal Minister of Education on January 26, 2007 on the subject “Education Policy/Education Reforms” in response of the “A White Paper, Document to Debate and Finalize the National Education Policy, prepared in December 2006 by Mr. Javed Hasan Aly, National Education Policy Review Team. In the feedback PMTA not only presented reservations but also recommendations. But it is so sorry that National Education Policy 2009 disappointed the religious minorities. Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association expressed strong reaction and protested against NEP 2009 that violates Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan 1973. As a protest PMTA wrote a letter Ref. No. 40.pmta/09 on September 12, 2009 on the subject “Comments on the biased education policy” to Mr. Yousaf Raza Gillani, the then Prime Minister of Pakistan and condemned NEP 2009. PMTA also drew the attention of the then President of Pakistan Ref. No PMTA/115/6 on May 2, 2006 on the subject “Representation of educationists from the religious minorities in the curriculum committee constituted to revise syllabus 2006.” PMTA further expressed in the letter, “Present National Education Policy, National Curriculum and textbooks have violated the presidential address of the Father of the Nation Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah to the Constituent Assembly of Pakistan on August 11, 1947 in which he said, “We are starting in the days when there is no discrimination, no distinction between one community and another, no discrimination between one caste or creed and another. We are starting with this fundamental principle that we are all citizens and equal citizens of one State.” There has also been the violation of Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan, Article 26 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 2 and Article 14 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 5 of the Declaration On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Intolerance And Of Discrimination Based On Religion Or Belief, Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights in the National Education Policy 2009, National Curriculum 2006-2007 and present textbooks. It is so sad that no heed had been paid to the genuine reservations and recommendations of the religious minorities and as a result National Education Policy 2009 and National Curriculum 2006-2007 are biased against them and ultimately textbooks which have been published according to the NEP 2009 and NC 2006-2007 have become a threat to the lives, beliefs, religious practices and properties of the suppressed minorities. PMTA received a letter from Mr. S. Tajammal Hussain Shah, Assistant Educational Advisor, Government of Pakistan, Ministry of Education, (Curriculum Wing), Islamabad, No. F.3-17/2007-IE, on September 19, 2007, subject “Notification for the subject of Ethics for the students of Minorities in the educational institutions” which ensured “There are no biasis in future books.” In the letter Professor Paul continues to say, “According to the research conducted by Pakistan Minorities Teachers’ Association on the present textbooks prepared in October 2014 in different subjects like History, Social Studies, Pakistan Studies, Urdu, English, General Knowledge, Islamic Studies and Ethics of National Book Foundation Islamabad, Punjab Textbook Board Lahore, Sindh Textbook Board Jamshoro, Balochistan Textbook Board Quetta and Khyber Pakthtunkhwa Textbook Board Peshawar. There has been use of vulgar language, propagation, controversies and disinformation only against the minority religions and religious minorities of Pakistan. The research identifies that National Curriculum 2006-2007 and textbooks have violated Article 22 (1) 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 textbooks consider all students of the one and same religion. They preach only one religion, invite the attention of the students to convert only to one religion, promote religious identity of only one religion and promote dignity/glory of the followers of only one religion. According to the research these textbooks are biased as they present Islamic identity to Pakistan, Pakistan as a state of only Muslims, divide Pakistani nation on the basis of religion, create complex of majority and minority, present the Quaid-e-Azam as a leader of only Muslims, present comparison among religions, present desecration of the Holy Books and worship places of religious minorities, let down Hindu religion, teach Christian beliefs in a different way, provoke religious violence, instigate students to Muslim-Christian violence and Muslim- Hindu violence. There are biases against Christians, Hindus and Sikhs. There is discriminatory attitude with the minority students in the textbooks. As a result, after reading these textbooks one can easily prey religious minority his/her target and ultimately the religious minorities can be burnt alive, abducted, minor girls and women can be abducted ,forcibly converted and married. There can be desecration of the Holy Books and worship places of religious minorities.Their properties can be grabbed.Their houses can be demolished and burnt to ashes after looting. They can be segregated from the mainstream.There can be religious, social, economic, political discrimination and persecution on the basis of religion. This is what we see that religious minoroties are suffering persecution.” PMTA has presented following recommendations in the letter; 1. Reviewed National Education Policy 2009 and National Curriculum 2006-2007 must be unbiased, value based and need based. 2. There must not be repetition of any content at any level. 3. Curriculum must promote creative learning and according to the mental level of the students. 4. All hate literature that promotes extremism against the minority religions and religious minorities must be abolished immediately from the textbooks published in Urdu and English languages. 5. It is needed to include material on the respect of all human beings, human rights, social harmony, peaceful co-existence, understanding the world, respect for all religions and their followers taking examples from all religions. 6. There must be selection of unbiased and non-controversial educationists while reviewing National Education Policy 2009 and National Curriculum 2006-2007. 7. There must be representation of minority educationists while reviewing the NEP 2009 and NC 2006-2007 so that they may have their proper input to abolish all hate literature against their religion/s. 8. Pakistani governments have taken the responsibility of ‘Religious Education’ of only the students of majority religion which is discriminatory and violation of Article 25 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan that guarantees, ‘All citizens are equal before law and are entitled to equal protection of law.’ Subject of ‘Ethics’ only for minority students is a threat to their beliefs. There are controversial material and contents in the subject of ‘Ethics’ As a result religious minorities have boycotted such curriculum and textbooks that are the main source to weaken their beliefs. Strengthening the beliefs of the students of majority students and weakening the beliefs of minority students is discriminatory. It is utmost need to make immediate arrangements for the subject of ‘Religious Education’ and the recruitment of minority teachers as it is in the case of ‘Islamic Education’ which is a compulsory subject from primary to university level all and being taught only by the Muslim teachers. It is expected that there will be respect of Article 22 (1) the Constitution of Pakistan, Article 26 (2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, Article 2 and Article 14 (1) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child, Article 5 of the Declaration On The Elimination Of All Forms Of Intolerance And Of Discrimination Based On Religion Or Belief, Article 18 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights. 9. Teachings/Instructions of any religion must not be imposed on the followers of other religions to avoid religious persecution and to respect other religions on the basis of equality. 10. Strict action must be taken against such publishers who violate Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan and 20 point agenda of National Action Plan 2014. 11. All the nationalized missionary schools and colleges must be returned to the missionaries without any further delay. Besides this there must not be interference in the administration of the missionary educational institutions. Copies of the letter have been mailed to the President of Pakistan, State Minister for Education, Trainings and Standards in Higher Education and Interior and Narcotics Control, Joint Educational Advisor, Director General (Human Rights) Ministry of Law, Justice & Human Rights and National Commission on the Status of Minorities along with three researched based documents, Biased Pakistani Textbooks, Article 22 (1) of the Constitution of Pakistan and Pakistani Textbooks and General Standard of Pakistani Textbooks