RECENTLY, I noticed a heated discussion on social media regarding the status of Punjabi language in the country. As is known, Punjabi is the native language of the people living in Punjab, a region split between Pakistan and India. The status of the Punjabi language is pretty clear

in India where it is one of the scheduled languages, the official language of the Punjab state, and an additional language in Delhi and Haryana. In Pakistan, it has no official status at all.

More than 80 million people picked Punjabi as their mother tongue in the 2017 census, which makes it the most widely spoken language in Pakistan. Interestingly, Pakistan has the highest number of Punjabi speakers by a mile. Yet, it is intriguing that Pakistan does not award the Punjabi language with any sort of official status in the regions where it is mainly spoken, such as the Punjab province and the capital city of Islamabad. It is not even the official medium of instruction at any educational institution in the country.

This means that Pakistan is not among the countries that officially recognise the Punjabi language. This is despite the fact that books, journals and news are published in Punjabi, and the language is taught as a subject that is covered by the Punjab Curriculum and Textbook Board (PCTB).

I wonder what has constantly stopped the government all these years from making Punjabi the official language of Punjab. We treat it like one, but we have not done it ‘officially’. Other provinces have not shied away from hailing their native languages, and Punjabis have not exactly forsaken their language either. It is the most spoken language in the country. Looks like we just forgot to do that. Have we?

Sheikh Taimoor Ahmed
Manchester, UK

Published in Dawn, June 1st, 2024