LAHORE: Punjabi language activists from various organisations on Saturday held a rally outside the press club with a slogan of ‘Punjabi Parhao’.

The rally was also joined by representatives of various political parties, including Muhammad Ahmed Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Faisal Mir of the Pakistan People’s Party and Punjab government spokesperson and special assistant to chief minister (SACM) Hasaan Khawar.

The participants in the rally demanded the government make Punjabi language compulsory for primary classes and introduce it as an optional subject in other classes.

“It is the basic right of the children of Punjab to be taught in their mother tongue,” they said.

Addressing a seminar before the rally, Mr Khawar said it was a right of every child to get education in his/her mother language. He said he would personally convey the message of the Punjabi organisations to Chief Minister Sardar Usman Buzdar and Minister for School Education Murad Raas to make Punjabi compulsory in primary classes.

Mr Muhammad Ahmed Khan said once MPA Abdul Rasheed Bhatti was not allowed to deliver his speech in Punjabi in the assembly. Lamenting that all the parties who had governments in Punjab had ignored the Punjabi language but it’s time to take measures to address the issue. He said he would raise the voice to make Punjabi compulsory in the primary classes in the assembly.

Faisal Mir said the PPP would accept the children’s right to have education in their mother tongue in every province of the country. He said his party had implemented the basic right of children in Sindh and made Sindhi compulsory in the primary classes there. He said the PPP would stand with the people of Punjab in their demand for implementation of mother language in schools and would also raise a voice for them at every forum.

Punjab National Party chairman Chaudhry Matloob Warraich said they would launch a movement to give Punjabi language its right.

Punjabi Parchar president Ahmad Raza Wattoo, Punjabi Adabi Board general secretary Parveen Malik and others also addressed the seminar.

Later, the participants held a rally outside the press club.

Published in Dawn, October 17th, 2021