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Thursday March 28, 2024

Steps demanded to promote Pashto, other languages

By Bureau report
February 22, 2018

PESHAWAR: Different events were organized in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in connection with the International Mother Language Day on Wednesday.

An event was organised in connection with the day at the Department of Pashto of University of Peshawar.

The Pakhtun Students Federation (PkSf), UoP, had organised the event.

Dr Yasin Iqbal, Dr Khurshid Alam, Professor Dr Noorul Amin, Professor Muhammad Ali and others spoke on the occasion. PkSF general secretary Abid Yousafzai performed as the stage secretary.

The speakers highlighted the importance of indigenous languages, saying that several languages were on the verge of extinction.

They called for the need to take practical steps to preserve and promote Pashto and other languages. They also highlighted the importance of research and publishing books and other publications in various endangered languages.

Later, a resolution was passed, demanding declaring Pashto as official language.

The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) organised a walk to highlight importance of the day.

Led by the QWP’s provincial general secretary, Hashim Babar, secretary culture wing Dr Alam Yusafzai and others, the participants gathered outside the Peshawar Press Club.

A literary and cultural organization, Gandhara Hindko Board, arranged a gathering at the Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan Hall of the Gandhara Hindko Academy.

Director Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Ziaul Haq Sarhadi presided over the function.

Speakers stressed promotion of mother language as a social responsibility. They talked of the mother language importance keeping in view the theme of the Unesco which for this year was “Linguistic diversity and multilingualism: keystones of sustainability and peace”.

They urged the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to extend support all the languages spoken in the province. The speakers recalled that the children right to primary education in mother tongues was acknowledged in the past, adding the present government should take practical steps to implement the decision.