Former Pakistani President and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari has been featured in a chapter of a Dutch textbook discussing corruption. The news was shared widely on social media, with a Twitter user posting an image of the chapter alongside a caption stating that school children in the Netherlands were being taught about Zardari’s alleged corruption. The Netherlands Ministry of Education, Culture and Science has confirmed that the chapter was from an old textbook, which referred to a news article on Zardari’s arrest in a corruption case. The textbook was intended for 16-year-old students enrolled in a four-year vocational education programme. The spokesperson for the ministry said that it is normal for classrooms to discuss news items and that the textbook is being reviewed for a new edition next year, with outdated articles being replaced. According to a Google translation of the chapter, Zardari has been arrested for corruption, and he and his sister are suspected of money laundering. The chapter also mentions former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, who was convicted on corruption charges. Students are asked to explain why Zardari is called “Mr 10%”. The image of the book has been widely shared on social media, with many calling it a moment of shame for Pakistan, and urging the Netherlands Ambassador to Pakistan to take notice of the image.
