Majority of the participants of a public hearing on Monday demanded recognition of major regional languages of the country as national languages, besides formation of a commission for devising a mechanism on the matter.
The public hearing was organised by Senate Standing Committee on Law and Justice on 'The Constitutional Amendment Bill, 2016' moved by Senator Sassui Palijo and 'The Constitution Amendment Bill, 2016' introduced by Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja on behalf of some other senators seeking promotion of regional languages and giving them status of national languages.
Senator Muhammad Javed Abbasi, chairman of the committee, presided over the hearing which was attended by intellectuals, writers, poets and members of the civil society from across the country. The bill moved by Senator Sassui Palijo sought national status for 4 languages including Punjabi, Sindhi, Balochi and Pashto, while the bill moved by Karim Ahmed Khawaja sought recognition of major languages of the country including Balochi, Balti, Bravhvi, Punjabi, Pashto, Shina, Sindhi and Saraiki.
The committee had earlier decided that 2 bills were similar in nature and they should be clubbed together to avoid overlapping. The participants suggested that mother languages should also be included in curriculum of primary schools'. However, some of the participants criticised the bill seeking national status for only 4 languages, saying all regional languages should be given a national status.
Abbasi said that necessary steps should be taken for promotion of languages. Senator Karim Ahmed Khawaja said the languages in any part of the world are considered to be a strong tool to transmit the memory from older generation to the newer one. Pakistan has inherited the old civilisations of Mohenjo Daro, Taxila, Ghandara, Harappa and Mehar Garh. All these civilisations are greatly spread in the whole country and have their own beauty and expression.
He said the major mother tongues of Pakistan are Balochi, Brahvi, Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Saraiki and Hindko, adding these languages have preserved Pakistan's regional and national history and culture. Palijo was of the view that regional languages need to be given proper recognition as they promote national integration and build a strong federation. She said that a number of movements are going on in the country demanding national status to these languages.
"When the move to declare NWFP as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was started it was termed a conspiracy against Pakistan but the time has proved that change in name has further strengthened the federation and national unity," said Senator Mukhtiar Ahmed Dhamrah.
He said that the demand to take steps for promotion of languages and recognising regional languages as national language would further strengthen in the future, if necessary steps are not taken in this regard.
Senator Muhammad Usman Khan Kakar said, "It would be injustice with these languages if we name them with local and provincial languages." Kakar said that the seeds for the separation of East and West Pakistan were sown when it was to recognise Bengali as a national language. "Afghanistan recognises Balochi as a national language, then why can we not give the local languages of Pakistan a similar importance," he remarked. Intellectuals and writers including Director Pashto Academy Nasrullah Wazir, Professor Quaid-e-Azam University Mushtaq Gaadi, Nasir Mamon, Ahmad Saleem, Sultan Shah and Parveen also spoke on the occasion.