Scholars call for promotion of local languages

Islamabad : Scholars and academicians on Friday underlined the need of recognising and celebrating the importance of Pakistani languages to keep high the national identity, while moving towards the road of progress and prosperity.

Addressing the inaugural session of two-day international conference held here at Allama Iqbal Open University (AIOU), they said that the national glory and unity could be well achieved through promotion of languages and their literature.

The inaugural session was presided over by the Vice Chancellor Prof. Dr. Shahid Siddiqui, while renowned scholar Prof. Dr. Fateha Muhammad Malik was the chief guest. The speakers who delivered key-note address on the occasion included Chairman Sindh Language Authority Dr. Abdul Ghafoor Mahmood, Director General Urdu Science Board, Lahore Dr. Nasir Abbas Nayyar, Pakistani scholar from Maryland, USA Bina Goindi, Sindhi scholar Hafeez Khan and a Pushto scholar Saleem Raj Khan.

The event, arranged by the University’s Department of Pakistani Languages was well-attended by scholars, researchers and academicians from home and abroad. It was part of the AIOU’s regular activities to promote research-based academic work on various issues of national importance. The speakers, while deliberating upon the topic of ‘Pakistani language and colonial literature’ noted that the British imperialist forces had been perpetuating their hegemony in the sub-continent by using the tool of language and literature.