Baloch slams closure of language departments

QUETTA:

Former chief minister Dr Abdul Malik Baloch on Wednesday condemned a University of Balochistan directive to close its Balochi, Brahui and Pashto departments, calling the move "a calculated assault on the province's linguistic and cultural identity."

Speaking at a press conference, Dr Baloch said the decision — reportedly taken on financial grounds — would silence languages spoken by millions across Balochistan. "Universities are centres of learning, not profit-making enterprises," he argued. "If deficits become the yardstick, half the public institutions in Pakistan would have to shut their doors."

The National Party leader warned that repeated fee hikes had already driven enrolment down, while faculty salaries were chronically delayed. "Inflation is soaring, yet educators are told to tighten their belts while billions are diverted to administrative perks," he said, noting that deputy commissioners continue to head development projects despite a court order barring them from those roles.

Dr Baloch pointed out the irony of scrapping Balochi courses at home even as the language is taught at universities overseas, including in Sweden. Brahui, he added, is offered at only one institution worldwide — the very department now facing closure in Quetta.

Calling the step "an act of cultural vandalism," he urged the provincial government and university syndicate to reverse the directive immediately. "Marginalising native tongues today will rob future generations of their heritage tomorrow," he warned.