KARACHI: The University of Sindh (SU) on Tuesday issued a notification to convert all signboards and building titles within its campuses to English and Sindhi, local media reported. The failure to mention Urdu, the national language sparked controversy and is violation of the constitution.
Article 251 of the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan states that, “Without prejudice to the status of the national language [Urdu], a provincial assembly may by law prescribe measures for the teaching, promotion and use of a provincial language in addition to the national language”.
The notification (No SU/G/396 dated April 17, 2018) states that all that signboards and building titles at SU, Jamshoro and all other campuses shall be in bilingual format (Sindhi and English).
The notification is being viewed as contrary to constitutional provisions and the apex court judgment. Referring to Article 251 of the Constitution and SC judgment of 2015, Advocate Muhammad Nadeem Shaikh of the Justice Helpline said it seemed like contempt of court and is very much against the Constitution of Pakistan.
He also recalled that then chief justice Jawwad S Khawaja gave a landmark judgment after which it was made compulsory to correspond in Urdu language in all official matters. “Urdu should have been mentioned in the notification,” he said.
As the news of the notification went viral, it sparked political outrage.
Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) – Pakistan’s Leader of the Opposition in the Sindh Assembly Khawaja Izharul Hasan, in a statement, remarked that the notification signified a mind-set of slavery and was against the dreams of Quaid-i-Azam.
MQM MPA Faisal Sabzwari also condemned the exclusion of Urdu in the notification and said that efforts should be made to bring the people of Sindh closer rather than divide them.
Pak Sarzameen Party (PSP) Chairperson Mustafa Kamal termed the notification a conspiracy against the Sindhi population. The Pakistan Peoples Party, he said, is instigating the Sindhi population, while the MQM is doing same with the Urdu speaking population.
However, the management of SU maintained that they did not ban Urdu at their varsity. “There is an important department of Urdu at SU, where education till doctorate level is provided,” the statement reads.
SU Vice-Chancellor Dr Fateh Muhammad Burfat said that most of the signboards are in English and since the people mostly understand Sindhi, they decided to mention the titles in Sindhi as well as Urdu.
When reminded that there was no mention of Urdu in the notification, he replied that some titles are already in Urdu and that is why they did not find it necessary to mention it in the notification separately, as they thought it was already understood. “Urdu is our national language and Sindhi is our provincial language and we respect that,” clarified Dr Burfat.
Meanwhile, SU Registrar Abdul Qayoom Memon said that all the documentation work at the varsity is done in English or Sindhi, as students are not able to easily understand Urdu.
Dr Burfat, on the other hand, announced that a new notification with amendments will be issued with the word Urdu mentioned to end this controversy.
