Call to declare all provincial languages national

LAHORE

A special meeting of World Punjabi Congress was held at the residence of its Chairman Fakhar Zaman to discuss the declaration by outgoing Chief Justice of Supreme Court regarding Urdu to be adopted as the official language.

The members appreciated switching over to Urdu as the official language but reservations were also expressed unanimously that in case Urdu is adopted as the national language of Pakistan then all languages of federating unit i.e. Punjab, Sindh, KP and Balochistan should also be declared the national languages of Pakistan and their nomenclature as the regional languages should be done away with.

It was said that sometime back an MNA presented a bill in the National Language Committee calling for the provincial languages to be declared on a par with Urdu as the national language of Pakistan. The bill was unfortunately put down, thanks to short-sightedness of PPP, ANP and PML-N members. It was resolved in the meeting that in Punjab especially, Punjabi language should be declared medium of instruction at the primary level. It was also resolved that first-ever Punjabi University should be established in Lahore by upgrading PILAC. It was also observed that the present textbooks from school to master level of Punjabi language should be immediately changed and progressive contemporary writers should be included in the courses with the observation that the textbooks authors should be essentially the known Punjabi writers with modern knowledge and new visions. The meeting called upon the Punjab Higher Education Commission Chairman, Dr Nizamuddin and Punjab University VC Dr Mujahid Kamran to take immediate steps. Another suggestion was made by Fakhar Zaman that Punjab HEC should establish a model Punjabi school to put into practice the teaching of Punjabi language at the primary level. It was also observed that WPC had no faith in the Punjab politicians and the bureaucracy that they will take solid steps for the development of Punjabi language. They will not even ask the members of Punjab legislature to speak in Punjabi. Fakhar Zaman said that let chief minister speak in Punjabi in the assembly and set the ball rolling.

Finally it was decided to request the new Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to take the things to the logical point where the outgoing dynamic Chief Justice Jawwad Khwaja had left the things and take suo motu notice to declare Punjabi the medium of instruction at primary level.
Curtsey:The News, Saturday, September 12, 2015