Resolution says mother tongues belong to all of Pakistan rather than just one particular area
The National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage on Thursday agreed it was high time that people should use their languages for unity and better understanding among each other.
The committee meeting chaired by lawmaker Marvi Memon was of the opinion that Pakistani society was hub of ancient languages but unfortunately Pakistan since its inception, instead of recognising and celebrating linguistic diversity, started its journey by denying the distinct historical status of these languages. Diversity and recognition of these languages will be the path for nation building, which is acutely required, the committee said.
The committee further discussed a working paper on the concept of the National Language Commission as envisioned by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in PML-N manifesto.
The PML-N manifesto reads, “Pakistan currently has many mother tongues but only one national language which is Urdu and one official language which is English. In most nation states, all major mother tongues are national languages. A National Language Commission will be set up by the PML-N government to develop criteria for giving the status of national languages to all major languages.”
The concept paper incorporated the vision of National Language Commission as “to establish a National Language Commission which protects and promotes mother tongues of Pakistan, giving them National Language Status and as a result enhances nation building, education and productivity of Pakistan”.
The committee members also passed a unanimous resolution to the effect. “We appreciate the importance in according Pakistan’s major mother tongues like Balochi, Balti, Brushaski, Brahui, Hindko, Khowar, Kashmiri, Pahari, Pashto, Punjabi, Saraiki, Shina, Sindhi the National language status.”
“We will not allow the linguicide in Pakistan of its rich mother tongues. We understand that all mother tongues of Pakistan belong to all of Pakistan rather than just one particular area.”
The MNAs who attended the meeting included Dr. Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon, Tallal Chaudhry, Mian Farooq, Ghulam Bibi Bharwana, Waseem Akhtar Shaikh, Tahir Iqbal Ch, Syed Amir Ali Shah Jamote, Imran Zafar Leghari, Parveen Bhatti, Naeema Kishwar Khan, Arifa Khalid Parvez, Marriyum Aurangzeb and Belum Hasnain.
