Netherlands textbook asks students to write why Zardari is called ‘Mr 10%”.
A photo being circulated online purports to show a chapter from a textbook in the Netherlands about Pakistan’s former president Asif Ali Zardari’s alleged corruption.
Social media users are debating whether the photo is genuine and whether the chapter is from a textbook used in a European country.
The photograph is genuine. The chapter exists.
“In Netherlands school, children are being taught the subject of corruption of Asif Zardari,” a Twitter user wrote on April 5, “What a moment of shame for Mr. 10 percent to make it to Dutch books as lessons of corruption.”
The tweet features a picture of a chapter from a textbook with the headline: “Former Pakistani president, ‘Mister 10 percent’ arrested for corruption.”
Under the headline is a photo of Pakistan’s former president Zardari.
The tweet has received 29,200 views, 433 likes and 337 retweets.
A similar claim was made by a verified Twitter account with the text: “Mr. Ten percent Zardari makes it to the Dutch school books, Lessons in corruption, a proud moment for PPP.”
The Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science of the Netherlands confirmed that the photo circulating online is indeed from a textbook of the country’s four-year secondary vocational education programme.
According to a ministry spokesperson, the chapter was taken from an old school textbook for 16-year-old students enrolled in the four-year programme.
For a class discussion, the textbook includes a news article about Pakistan’s former president.
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“This is an older textbook, which refers to a news article of that time,” he told Geo Fact Check via WhatsApp, “It’s very normal to discuss news items of all sorts in classrooms, especially in subjects such as citizenship and social sciences, to which this book refers to.”
The spokesperson maintained that in the Netherlands, publishers of school books are responsible for the contents of the books, not the Dutch government, adding that the publisher of this particular book has informed the ministry that the textbook is being reviewed for a new edition, which will be rolled out next year.
“If articles are outdated or do not present the current facts, they will be replaced,” he said.
According to a Google translation of the chapter, Zardari, Pakistan’s former president, has been arrested for corruption and he and his sister are suspected of money laundering.
According to the chapter, Zardari has served time in prison and is known as ‘Mister 10%’ because of the payments he received on government contracts.
In addition to Asif Ali Zardari, the article mentions Pakistan’s three-time former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
“Zardari is not the only former government leader to be convicted,” the article reads, “Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif was ousted in 2017, last year he was sentenced to seven years in prison for corruption.”
The chapter further asks students to write why Zardari is called ‘Mr 10%”
Asif Ali Zardari is a Pakistani politician who is the president of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarians and was the co-chairperson of the Pakistan People’s Party.
He served as the 11th president of Pakistan from 2008 to 2013, the first president born after Independence.
