ISLAMABAD: Participants of the National Dialogue on National Language and Pakistani Languages have unanimously recommended restoring the name of the National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) which was before called the National Language Authority (NLA).

Hosted by the NLPD to get input from various stakeholders for declaring Urdu the official language of the country, the dialogue was held on Wednesday and the recommendations were released Thursday.

Participants of the dialogue agreed that the NLA can play a vital role in promoting Urdu.

Urdu was declared the official language in the 1973 Constitution for the implementation of which the NLA was formed and was given 15 years to make Urdu the official language. The name of the authority was changed in Oct 2012 to NLPD, which became a department and was placed directly under the Ministry of National Heritage and Integration because of which the chairman became the director general and the secretary of the department became the executive director.

Talking to Dawn, NLPD head and literary figure Iftikhar Arif said changing NLA’s name has had implications on a national and international level.

“NLA has published 767 research oriented books which are quoted across the globe. But though references are made to the NLA when quoting its research, the NLA does not exist,” he said.

“Similarly, at a national level we have been facing problems when publishing books and taking decisions. The NLA was a constitutional institution but was placed under a ministry. Its budget could not be increased during the last many years. We have requested Advisor to the Prime Minister for National History and Literary Heritage Irfan Siddiqui to address the issue,” he said.

In reply to a question, Mr Arif said though English is one of the most widely spoken languages, Urdu should be promoted as well.

Published in Dawn, May 19th, 2017