PESHAWAR: Different events were held across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Tuesday by political parties, literary organisations and civil society members to mark International Mother Language Day and demand of the government to impart education to students in their mother tongue.

Political parties, writers, poets and civil society organisations arranged seminars and walks in different districts to mark the day. They said that mother language should be adopted as medium of instructions in schools to ensure development of the country.

In Peshawar, Qaumi Watan Party held a seminar, which was attended by poets, writers, political workers and representatives of civil society organisations.

Speaking on the occasion, QWP provincial chairman Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao highlighted the importance of mother tongue. He said that progress was linked to imparting education to students in their mother tongue. He stressed the need for promoting regional languages.

Seminars and walks across KP mark International Mother Language Day

QWP leaders Hashim Babar, Tariq Ahmad Khan, Dr Alam Yousufzai, Syed Fayaz Ali Shah and Dr Farooq Afzal; AWP provincial president Akhunzada Haider Zaman; and writers attended the seminar.

Mr Sherpao said that Pakhtuns were facing immense difficulties owing to the flawed policies of rulers. He urged poets, intellectuals and writers to play their role for promotion of Pashto language.

He said that government should support writers, poets and researchers of all languages and publish their works. He said that Qaumi Watan Party would take practical steps for publication of the works of Pashto poets and writers.

In Swat, seminars were held in the local press club, Government Postgraduate Jahanzeb College, Iqra University, Dr AQ Khan School System and Gwalerai Matta to mark International Mother Language Day.

The events were organised by Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, Elum Adabi Aw KaltoriTolna, Nariwal Adabi Taroon and Spin Sar Adabi Taroon.

Prominent among the speakers were PkMAP’s Talimand Khan, Usman Ulasyar, Attaur Rehman Atta, Hanif Qais, Attaullah Jan, Roohul Amin Nayab, Riaz Ahamd Hairan, IhsanYousafzai, Dr Tahir Bostan, Dr Fahimur Rehman, Iqbal Hussain Balay of PPP, MuftiArifullah of JUI-F, Abdul Ali of ANP, Syed Afzal Shah of PML-N, Shaukat Sharar, Fazal Mahmood Rokhan and Wakeel Khan.

In Lower Dir, Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party in collaboration with University of Malakand arranged a function in Chakdara to mark the day.

The function was addressed by ANP central vice president Hussain Shah Yousafzai, PkMAP senior deputy chairman Advocate Arshad Ali, PTI former MPA Humayun Khan, Sartaj Khan, Syed Liaqatul Mulk, Prof Zafaryab, Zar Naseeb Khan and others.

They said that books of modern knowledge should be translated into mother tongues. They said that promotion of mother language was necessary for revival of cultural values, norms and traditions. They said that Pakistan could make progress if it imparted education to children in their mother tongue.

Dir Qaumi Pasoon (DQP), a civil society organisation, also arranged a function in Timergara to mark the day. The function was addressed by Malik Shah Naseem, Malik Javed Iqbal, Ghani Rehman Karvan, Sher Alam Hamdard and others.

In Bannu, local literary organisations and Pakhtunkhwa Milli Awami Party took out a rally to mark the day. Carrying banners and placards, the participants of the rally passed through different bazaars to reach press club.

Speaking on the occasion, Inamullah, Shoaib Khan Sadozai, Malik Haroon Khan, Nisar Khan and others highlighted the importance of mother language.

A function was also held in a school in Lalozai Soorani area of Bannu to mark the day.

Published in Dawn, February 22nd, 2023