I ENDORSE the views expressed in the letter, ‘CSS exams in Urdu’ (Feb 24). In this age of globalisation, how long would we seek survival in isolation with our wrong priorities? When we do not have Urdu as a uniform medium of instruction even at primary level and across the country, it is unrealistic to go for it in higher studies, examinations and official correspondence. Avoiding English, the only international language, will add to our ever-deepening isolation.

Furthermore, Urdu has no capacity to translate and accommodate emerging sciences.

Urdu has a tumultuous odyssey towards becoming our lingua franca. The language had emerged as a binding force, bridging diverse ethnic backgrounds and breaking barriers. It should be set free of official patronage. It should be left to a vast variety of local speakers to shape its path and place.

Waheed A. Tunio

Larkana

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2017