LAHORE, March 2: Punjabi Writers Forum and members of the Sindhi Adabi Sangat had a sitting at the Punjab Institute of Language Art and Culture (PILAC), where the speakers unanimously passed a resolution that regional languages should be given the status of national languages.

Punjabi Writers Forum and PILAC arranged the sitting to welcome Sindhi writers and intellectuals who returned from India through the Wagah border crossing on Wednesday after participating in centennial celebrations of Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Dr Dilshad Tiwana from Punjabi Writers Forum thanked the Sindhi writers for attending the sitting.

Speaking on the occasion, Yousaf Sindhi from Sindhi Adabi Sangat said Punjabis and Sindhis could have political differences but there were no differences on the issue of language. He said it was good that Punjabi friends had realised that no progress could be made without the promotion of mother tongue. Mr Sindhi said regional languages should be introduced as official and educational languages in all four provinces.

Dr Mushtaq Phul from Sindhi Adabi Board said writers should not detest any regional language. He said Sindhi was being taught in Hyderabad and Mirpur Khas boards but it was not being taught in Karachi. “Why this discrimination?” he asked.

Nazir Kahot, convener of the Punjabi Language Movement, endorsed Sindhi participants’ views on the language issue.

Writer Hussain Majrooh, PILAC director Dr Sughra Sadaf and poet Sofia Baidar said efforts should be made for the introduction of regional languages as national languages as well as elimination of the class based system in all four provinces.