Pakistani social network sites published an article titled “Pakistan’s education system is hostage to the forces of bigotry,” suggesting few changes in the country’s education curriculum to purge hate material. Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif agreed to do the necessary action to deradicalize language/literature and history textbooks to improve the level of tolerance among different religious and sectarian communities.

Accordingly, Punjab’s textbook board committees made the required changes in the literature textbooks by removing articles and poetry that could be taken as religiously discriminatory while glorifying any one religion or sect. It is obvious such textbooks will be more acceptable to a wider spectrum of the population, which includes not only Muslims but Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and other religious minorities. At the same time, the course on religious studies (Islamiat) can be enhanced.

It is regrettable that on March 24, 2013, Shahbaz Sharif took a U-turn within a few hours of the publication of another article condemning the changes in the curriculum. He has ordered to bring back what has been removed from the textbooks. This U-turn has once again proved beyond any doubt that not only the education system, but the complete bureaucratic setup in Pakistan is hostage to the forces of bigotry.

If our mainstream leaders cannot take a stand even for one day, then why cry foul over the persistent bloodshed and rise of religious and sectarian militancy this country has witnessed? Why worry about sectarian killings in Quetta, Karachi, Kurram Agency? Why care about religious killings in Lahore and Gojra? Why investigate who murdered Benazir Bhutto, Salmaan Taseer, Shahbaz Bhatti, Bashir Bilour and Manzar Imam? Why question the frequent implication of innocent people in blasphemy cases? We will reap exactly or may be worse than what we sow. The choice is in our hands. — Masood Khan, Jubail