Declaring provincial languages as national languages: Marvi writes letters to provinces

Pakistan Muslim League-Q MNA Marvi Memon in her efforts to get justifiable status for all provincial and local languages in Pakistan has written letters to Speakers Punjab Assembly, Sindh Assembly, Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Balochistan Assembly, Gilgit-Baltistan Legislative Assembly and Kashmir Assembly.
She stated in the letter that in August 2008, I submitted the National language bill in the National Assembly aimed at declaring all provincial languages Balochi, Punjabi, Phusto, Shina, Balti Sindhi, Siraiki in phase 1, as National languages and other languages were to be added in due course of time.
"It has been an outstanding demand of the people to seek national status for their mother tongue. Urdu would continue as a National language and English as official in the Federation as per the Constitution. It would simply bring all provinces at par and give them all the same importance, she stated in the letter.
After all we all love our soil, our mother tongue and our 'dharti'. We all believe in provincial autonomy and this would be a good start to give something to the provinces in terms of provincial autonomy/ harmony, however unfortunately the demands have been ignored, she added.
It has damaged provincial autonomy and thus a stronger Federation. Recently the bill came up for discussion in the National Assembly's Standing Committee for Law and Justice where it was unjustifiably rejected by members belonging to various political parties.
Early in 2010, I had re-launched the same bill except this time jointly with a senior PPP member Yusuf Talpur as well as many other MNAs belonging to various parties and provinces. I had done so with the hope that if more parties were involved it would stand a better chance for success as a private member bill. Last week this particular bill with the signatures of 22 MNA was accepted on the floor of the house and once again sent to the Law and Justice Committee.-PR