KARACHI, Oct 24: The Save Sindh Committee (SSC), comprising prominent writers, intellectuals, lawyers, doctors, political and social workers and human rights activists, has urged the government not to raise the language issue once again.

In a joint statement issued here, they deplored the recent act of the Sindh Education Department superseding an earlier notification that made Sindhi Salees and Urdu Salees compulsory subjects for non-mother tongue students up to class X11 in all education institutions of Sindh, which was in accordance with the law passed by the provincial assembly.

The superseding notification has disallowed teaching of Sindhi Salees as a compulsory subject.

They were of the view that for the peaceful development of Sindh and harmony and better understanding among the people of Sindh, it is necessary to accord due respect, importance and status to all the languages of people of Sindh.

They stressed that teaching Sindhi in the institutions of Sindh should not be made an issue of controversy and discord.

They called upon the government to implement the law passed by the Sindh Assembly making teaching of Sindhi and Urdu mandatory up to class X11 and make sure that language issue was not allowed to once again divide the people of Sindh.

Signatories to the joint statement were Nurddin Sarki, Zahida Hina, M.B Naqvi, Yusuf Mustikhan, Abdul Khalique Junejo, Ali Mukhtar Rizvi, Muslim Shamim, Dr Tipu Sultan, Baseer Naveed, Agha Saleem, Anwar Peerzado, Prof Mohammad Noman, Dr Manzoor Ahmed, Fahmida Riaz, Badar Abro, Taj Baloch, Karamat Ali, Iqbal Alvi, Syed Mazhar Jamil, Iqbal Alvi, Usman Baloch Saleem Noor Hussain, Prof Riaz Siddique, Rahat Saeed and Ghulam Mustafa Lakho.