Peshawar: Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao on Friday underscored the need for promoting mother languages and demanded the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to take tangle steps to promote Pashto and other native languages spoken in the province. He was speaking at a seminar at Watan Kor in connection with the International Mother Language Day. Former senator Afrasiab Khattak, Afzal Shah Khamosh of Mazdoor Kissan Party, former IGP Akhtar Ali Shah, QWP's Hashim Babar, a large number of literati and intellectuals were present on the occasion.

Aftab Sherpao said national progress was closely linked to imparting education in mother languages. He added that most languages were on the verge of dying owing to negligence of the government. Highlighting the importance of mother tongue, Aftab Sherpao said that developed countries imparted education to children in their own language to make them understand the concepts in a better way. He said the government should make concerted efforts for the promotion and preservation of regional languages. He also urged the literary organizations to join hands to play their due role in this regard.

'A language links people to their culture,' he maintained, adding that ignoring one's language was harmful for a nation. Aftab Sherpao said Pakistan was a multilingual and multicultural society was home to around different 70 languages. Demanding the promotion of the Pashto language and its teaching in schools, he maintained the Constitution of Pakistan also called for promotion of regional languages. He expressed concern over the extinction of some regional languages in the country including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said that a language was the source of communication and education therefore its extinction discontinued the transfer of social values to the coming generation.

Commenting on the prevailing political situation in the country, Aftab Sherpao said that media was under siege to curb dissenting voices. He said the constitution guaranteed the freedom of expression, but the government was hell-bent on depriving people of their due rights. He said that Pashto, Punjabi, Saraiki, Sindhi and Baluchi should be given national language status with increased emphasis on Pashto language, literature and arts, adding that this would strengthen national identity and foster unity. He also demanded the establishment of Pashto language centres and said that organizing literary festivals and digital content creation in Pashto would ensure cultural preservation. He also demanded the creation of one united province for Pakhtuns by giving due representation to all ethnic groups in national decision making bodies and ensuring fair distribution of resources to address political marginalization.

The QWP leader said that promises made at the time of merger of ex-Fata should be honoured. 'The integration of Fata into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was a step towards mainstreaming the region, but the government must fulfill its promises to ensure lasting benefits,' he added.