Punjab govt told to explain derogatory material against Pukhtuns in textbooks

Petitioners urge court to stop such books from being taught until the court issues its verdict

PESHAWAR: After it emerged that some college textbooks in the Punjab were less than kind in their portrayal of Pukhtuns, a group of lawyers have approached the high court in Peshawar to stop using the literature.

A two-member bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) comprising Chief Justice Yahya Afridi and Justice Qalandar Ali Khan on Tuesday heard the petition filed by 12 lawyers which contended that Pukhtuns had allegedly been portrayed as ‘traitors’ in degree-level Pakistan Studies books.



The Federation of Pakistan through the Ministry of Education, Federal secretary of education, the government of Punjab through Chief Secretary and secretary education Punjab, Punjab group of colleges and Azeem Academy Publishers from Lahore were listed as respondents.

The petitioners told the court that on page 47 and page 48 of the Pakistan Study for Degree Classes textbook, slang and abusive words were used to describe Pukhtuns, adding that the use of the language was incorrect and unbearable for Pukhtuns living across the country.

“Using such language against the Pukhtuns is illegal, unconstitutional and against the moral ethics,” the lawyers contended.

The petitioners added that the constitution guarantees the right of citizens and provides that all the citizens must be treated equally and without any discrimination.

“It may create ethnic differences in the country which may push the entire nation towards an endless war and hatred if such practices were not stopped at once,” the lawyers said.

“Pukhtuns are living in this country in peace, respect and harmony and the act of using such a ‘derogatory language’ against them poses danger to the respect and the peaceful state of Pukhtuns.”

The petitioners have urged the PHC to issue directions to have the abusive language removed from the textbooks, correct the language and in future ensure that Pukhtuns are treated with respect and without discrimination in coursebooks.



Further, they urged the court to ensure that until a verdict is issued in the case, the respondents must stop teaching such books in educational institutions.

“We have no other remedy but to ask the court for relief,” the petitioners told the court.

The court subsequently directed the respondents to submit their comments by the next hearing of the case.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 20^th, 2017.