NA panel supports commission on languages

E-Paper | June 05, 2026

ISLAMABAD: A parliamentary panel has called for the formation of a national language commission to develop criteria for giving national language status to all major languages spoken in the country.

A meeting of the National Assembly’s Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage presided over by Marvi Memon of the PML-N on Thursday adopted a resolution for setting up the commission. The commission will protect and promote mother tongues of Pakistan, giving them the national language status to enhance inter-provincial harmony.

Azhar Jadoon, Talal Chaudhry, Gulam Bibi Barwani, Syed Ahmed Ali Shah, 11 other lawmakers and language experts attended the meeting.

The purpose of the meeting was to discuss the history and importance of Pakistan’s mother tongues, their national language status and their role in creating inter-provincial harmony.

In the resolution, the lawmakers appreciated the importance of the country’s major mother tongues like Balochi, Balti, Brushaski, Brahui, Hindko, Khowar, Kashmiri, Pahari, Pashto, Punjabi, Seraiki, Shina and Sindhi.

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Kashif Ali Abbasi is an Islamabad-based reporter for Dawn with 17 years of experience in journalism. He covers sports, the education sector, and civic issues. He can be found on X at @AbbasiKashif833.

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khan

Mar 14, 2014 02:39pm

i think we need to protect urdu at first place then to talk about other languages. its merely an agenda on card of hidden forces to push urdu army and cricket on back foots and so the unity of our country.

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roarwali

Mar 14, 2014 02:47pm

A good move but need practical measures. Languages should be protected at all cost. It's our heritage.

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Alam

Mar 14, 2014 03:10pm

@khan: You need to acknowledge the pluralism in the society as every language has an identity as a regional language, while Urdu has a different dimension being the national and official language

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Noor

Mar 14, 2014 04:55pm

This step was overdue. However, by dividing the languages into "National" and, logically, Not-so-National, the policy makers are risking to alienate languages spoken by smaller communities. It is therefore important to declare all languages spoken anywhere in Pakistan, irrespective of the numbers of their speakers, as national languages. After declaring all the languages of Pakistan as National Languages, the govt should take practical steps to ensure that the languages are protected and developed with the help of the civil society organizations.

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najma

Mar 14, 2014 07:40pm

News coverage of stuff with no practical value or solution to the plight masses in Pakistan. Pakistan likes to be in the queue of civilized society but fails to prioritize the issue on their merit. There is no actionable outcome of whatever it has been reported or declared by this parliamentary panel. It is a good photo op of members with blank stares on their faces. They themselves don't believe in their work and it is very obvious.

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Sami

Mar 14, 2014 09:02pm

Good step. These languages should be included in syllabus and students should opt one of these languages (other than mother language) as compulsory subjects. This will promote inter-cultural harmony.

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M. Emad

Mar 14, 2014 11:24pm

Whats wrong with the ''Urdu, and Urdu shall be the only National Language of Pakistan''?

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Shahryar Shirazi

Mar 14, 2014 11:32pm

I am noticing a few things (a) For almost every thing in Urdu, there is an Arabic or (mostly) farsi word and then there is a common Urdu/Hindi word. Younger generation is only familiar with the latter, which to put it in common terms means their Urdu is weak. (b) I live in USA and when I go back home, I see a lot of new Hindi words being used commonly in Urdu which was not the case when I left the country 15 years back. (c) Elite class, and all tiers of middle class are making sure they talk to their kids in English only. American cartoons are easily available on the cable TV and kids speak fluent/perfect English, but their Urdu is very bad - almost as if they are growing up abroad. Shahryar

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Mar 15, 2014 01:27am

Pakistan has many regional languages. But these are only our regional languages and not national languages. There is only one national language that transcends all regions of Pakistan, our 'lingua franka'. And that is Urdu which in my opinion should be called "Pakistani".

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