RAWALPINDI, June 21: Politicians and educationists here at a students convention opposed the changes being made in the textbooks, alleging this was being done on US dictations aimed at weakening the ideological base of Pakistan.

They said for a long time, the US and other western countries were conspiring to keep Pakistan's literacy rate low and weaken its ideology. "The changes in textbooks are part of this conspiracy for which agents have been made active here," they added.

Speaking on the occasion, Senator Prof Khurshid Ahmad said Jehad did not mean attacking someone, but to defend our religion, values, culture and other norms. It is totally immaterial to remove some excerpts from textbooks which contain verses about Jehad. Jehad is the basis of our ideology and it is the only way to defend our religious values, he added.

"Unless we stick to Jehad, we cannot defend ourselves," he said. Mr Ahmad blasted at Gen Pervez Musharraf's 'Enlightened Moderation' theory and said enlightenment came only from sticking to one's religious values and strengthening the ideological base.

"Enlightenment does not come from acting on Bush's dictations," he said. Islam, he said, was the most moderate religion and a complete code of life. It is totally opposes extremism, he added.

Mr Ahmad said a uniform educational system was the need of the country, and demanded restoration of student unions. Students unions, literary societies and formation of other associations are important part of study life. But these should not used for negative activities, he added.

The Senator also called for increase in the education budget. Prominent educationist Prof Preshan Khattak also objected the low share being kept for education in the budget.

He said total budget of all the universities in Pakistan was less than the budgetary allocation of a single university in the UK. Mr Khattak said the World Bank pressurized him when he was the chairman of University Grants Commission to bring reforms like privatization of universities, but he rejected their dictations.

He underlined the importance of higher education and said both university as well as primary education should go side-by- side. Speaking on the occasion, Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal MNA Farid Ahmad Paracha showed regret over what he said negligence of authorities concerned towards promotion of education.