Islamabad-Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development Division, Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry on Tuesday said the ministry is reviewing curriculum for the government schools to bring it at par with modern era needs.

Responding to a Calling Attention Notice, the minister informed the Senate that mistake in the text book showing Azad Kashmir as Pakistan Occupied Kashmir have been corrected. “The publisher has apologised for the mistake. All such books have been confiscated and a new edition has been introduced in the market after corrections,” he informed the house.

The minister stated that the matter is related to fourth edition of Social Studies Book being taught by private schools for level five that was published by a Karachi based publishing company. 

Senator Sehar Kamran had drawn attention of the minister towards this mistake and stated that it was criminal negligence and a strict action must be taken against the publishers. She also demanded to evolve a strategy for strict checking of curriculum and publications so any effort to distort historic facts like the Kashmir issue are foiled and responsible are dealt with severely.

She also described such efforts as a conspiracy against national integrity and interests of the nation. The minister in response said that curriculum for private schools are checked by Private Educational Institution Authority while for the government schools it is checked by the provincial governments.

As far as capital territory is concerned, the curriculum is checked by his ministry; he said and mentioned that after assuming charge of the ministry he had tasked the officials to improve the curriculum as per modern day needs.

He said, “Every cognizance is ensured to keep the curriculum in line with our historic and national perspective and review it for the benefit of students studying at government schools.”