Govt websites lost in Urdu translation

‘Autonomous bodies’ rendered as ‘khudmukhtar laashein’ and ‘situation vacant’ as ‘khaali soratay haal’

ISLAMABAD: The government has turned the national language into a laughing stock by literally translating the English version of its websites in a bid to fulfill the Supreme Court’s directives to federal and provincial governments to adopt and promote Urdu as official language.

Over a dozen government websites, which include Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Information Technology and even the official website of government  known as “Pakistan.gov.pk” has been put on Google translate at the right corner of each page.



The government has literally made a mockery of itself by doing word to word translation of all the details it has put on the page. The computer-generated translation at times has altogether changed the meaning and context of the message or information present on the website.

The 1973 Constitution recognises Urdu as Pakistan’s only national language. Article 251 of the Constitution says “Arrangements shall be made for Urdu being used for official and other purposes within [next] fifteen years”. A sub-clause allows the use of English until those arrangements are made while another sub-clause permits provinces to promote “provincial languages” alongside Urdu.

Lost in Translation

The Federal government has opted for Google translate instead of making a separate page for every website, which has made things worse—apparently ‘fulfilling the requirement’.

The cabinet division website, which is the prime web portal for the prime minister’s office until recently had the option of Urdu as the second language. However, it has been removed after the embarrassment that it was causing.  For instance, the translation of “autonomous bodies” after the word to word translation appeared as khudmukhtar laashein (independent dead bodies). The Establishment Division website translates wings as punk, which is the Urdu translation of feathers.

Ministry of Education has also gone for the same option of translation and the section of ‘situation vacant’ has been translated to khaali soratay haal, which in turn means empty situation in Urdu. The word download for an application has been translated as Utaar do, which means to take it down in Urdu.

Ministry of Planning has the same option of Urdu but there is nothing on the page about Urdu except the latest news while the rest appears in English once an Urdu link is clicked.  Same is the case with the website of Ministry of Finance.

The Federal Public Service Commission has somehow been honest and has made a dedicated page in Urdu which has important translation of documents, which include its ordinance and frequently asked questions.

Similarly, translation of most of the English paragraphs has been made near impossible to comprehend as the sentence structure is different and does not convey the actual meaning. Moreover, not a single province has a dedicated Urdu portal in accordance with the directives of the Supreme Court. However, Sindh has a few sections written in Urdu but the link, which opens is in English.



Famous Urdu writer and humorist Anwar Masood laughed after listening to some of the translated words and said they were not typos or mistakes. “Do not call them mistakes, these are jokes,” he said.

Akhtar Raza, a novelist who has been working on matters related to Urdu language, said that it was a “sorry state of affairs” that the government had opted for such methods. “All the words are ridiculously translated and have alternative words with our department but those at the helm of affairs are not interested to implement it,” he said and regretted that despite having all the facilities and personalities in the country for task, the government was utilising such absurd means.