Pakistan

Regional languages: Calls for according national status

Marvi Memon urges speakers of all provincial assemblies to accord national language status to all regional languages.

Express January 30, 2011

ISLAMABAD: Marvi Memon, a National Assembly lawmaker from the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid, has urged speakers of all provincial assemblies to accord national language status to all regional languages.

According to a press release issued here on Saturday, letters have been sent to speakers of all assemblies.

The MNA had also submitted a bill in the National Assembly in August 2008, calling for declaring all provincial languages, including Balochi, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pushto, Shina, Balti and Siraiki as national languages. Over time, other languages were to be added.

The press release said the people of Pakistan had “long been demanding national status for their mother tongues. Urdu will continue to be (the top) national language and English as the official language, as per the Constitution”.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 30^th, 2011.

COMMENTS (3)

Wasio Ali Khan Abbasi | 13 years ago | Reply @Faiz: I agree with you. Only after realizing our ethnic and linguistic differences, accepting them and honoring them can we bond strongly and strengthen the country. Forcing minority language over majority will continue to cause problems and create further damage than already dealt over a period of 6 decades.

Faiz | 13 years ago | Reply Mother tongue to a nation is like memory to a person. Pakistani is a culturally pluralistic country with four different nations who have only religion in common. Even religion has divided our society. If we recognize that Punjabis, Sindhis, Pakhtoons and Balochs are separate nations with their own culture and ethos, it will strengthen Pakistan, not weaken it. Well-done Marvi! Go ahead

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