Sindh Assembly seeks national language status for Sindhi

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KARACHI: Sindh Assembly on Tuesday passed a resolution with majority vote seeking Sindh be given the status of national language.

Sindh Assembly met here with Deputy Speaker Syeda Shehla Raza in the chair. Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) member Nand Kumar tabled a resolution demanding that Sindhi be declared as national language.  MQM opposed the resolution. MQM’s Parliamentary Leader in Sindh Assembly Syed Sardar Ahmed said that Sindhi could not be given the status of national language as Quaid-e-Azam had stated in categorical terms that Urdu will be the national language of the country.

Even Sindh Senior Minister Nisar Ahmed Khuhro raised objections on the move, saying that if Sindhi was given the status of national language then what will be of other language.

Culture Minister Syed Sardar Ali Shah while rejecting Sardar Ahmed’s assertions said that even British also adopted Sindhi as official language. He said that they had no objection on Urdu but the language having a history of thousands of years should be given due importance.

When Deputy Speaker did not allow treasury members to speak on the resolution, they staged walkout from the house. Those who walked out include Imdad Pitafi, Nawab Taimur Talpur and other. Later, the debate was winded up with agreement to amend the resolution.