Urdu

• The Quaid Azam declared Urdu as the national language soon after independence.

• Urdu had been closely associated with the Muslims for centuries and became one of the foundational pillars of the Pakistan movement in later years.

• Government took many steps to promote it.

• The 1973 Constitution pledges to make it the official language, too.

• Government patronized it by encouraging prominent poets like Faiz, Faraz, Munir Niazi and Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi who were given various awards.

• Baba- i-Urdu Award, Adamjee Award, Hijra Award and the Prime Minister’s Award were introduced for this purpose.

• Urdu was declared as the medium of education in all public sector schools and a compulsory subject in private sector institutes.

Punjabi

• However, regional languages were also promoted. Punjabi is spoken in the largest province, Punjab.

• It has a rich literary stock with such ‘sufi’ (saintly) poets as Waris Shah, Baba Farid and Bulleh Shah.

• Punjabi played important role in the Pakistan movement.

• It was introduced as an optional subject in colleges.

• Research activities were conducted in the University of Punjab.

• Prominent poets and writers were encouraged, for example, Habib Jalib, Munir Niazi, Ahmed Rahi and others by giving them awards on their writings.

• Some Punjabi newspapers were issued from Lahore, like the Daily Sajjan in the 1980’s.

Sindhi

• Sindhi is the language of Sindh, the second largest province.

• Its literature is closely linked with Islam as it is the first regional language that had adopted the Arabic script due to the arrival of Arab Muslims in Sindh in 712 AD.

• Its literary treasure comprised such poet as Shah Abdul Latif Bhitai and Sachal Sarmast.

• Government took many steps to promote it.

• The Department of Sindhology was set up in the University of Hyderabad.

• Other bodies include Bazm-i-Talib ul Maula, Sachal Sarmast Academy and the Sindhi Literary Board.

• Under the Language Bill of 1972, Zulfikar Ali Bhutto declared it the national language of Sindh along with Urdu.

• Prominent writers such as Pir Ali Muhammad Rashidi and G. Alana were given awards.

Pashto

• Pashto is spoken in the province of Khyber Pakhtoon Khwa and its literature contains resistance against foreign rule that is seen in the poetry of Khushhal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba.

• After 1947, University of Peshawar and Islamia College Peshawar promoted it.

• First Pashto dictionary had been compiled a few years later.

• An academy of promotion of Pashto was set up in 1954.

• Professor Pareeshan Khattak and Maulana Abdul Qadir played prominent role in its development.

• Abaseen Arts Council promoted Pashto Theatre.

Balochi

• Balochi is the least developed language of Pakistan as it had its literature in the form of oral traditions.

• Balochistan is the least developed and least populated province.

• This also necessitated to promote Balochi language. Initially, University of Karachi and radio and TV centres of Karachi promoted it.

• Later with the establishment of Quetta TV Centre, this language was promoted by electronic media.

• Poets and writers like Atta Shad and Gul Khan Nazir also contributed to its promotion.

• Balochi Literary Association was also created.