PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) on Thursday submitted a call attention notice in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, demanding the introduction of education in mother languages and recommending that regional languages, Pashto, Hindko, Khowar, Saraiki and Kohistani, be made compulsory subjects up to the intermediate level.
The notice, submitted by ANP MPA Nisar Baz Khan, stated that the provincial government should immediately activate the Languages Authority Act, 2012. It emphasized that education in one’s mother tongue is a constitutional and fundamental right of every child.
The notice recalled that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly had passed the Promotion of Regional Languages Authority Act with a majority in 2012. Under this regional languages were to be included as compulsory subjects in the curriculum up to the intermediate level.
However, it noted that for the past 13 years, implementation related to Pashto and Hindko has remained sluggish, while the process concerning other languages declared compulsory has been completely stalled. The notice urges the relevant departments to take necessary steps in this regard.
The notice demanded that Pashto be included as a compulsory subject carrying 100 marks in the scheme of studies for the current year, and that implementation be ensured for Hindko, Saraiki, Khowar and Kohistani languages. It also called for steps to include four additional languages, Gojri, Torwali, Gawri and Shina, in the curriculum.
The notice stressed that the immediate activation of the Languages Authority Act, 2012, is essential to preserve and promote linguistic diversity in Khyber Pukhtunkhwa.
Meanwhile, 10 more members of the KP Assembly submitted asset declarations to the Election Commission of Pakistan. The members, who failed to submit their declarations by January 15, will have their membership in the national and provincial assemblies suspended, and they will be barred from participating in assembly sessions.
Earlier, 48 members of the KP Assembly had not submitted asset declarations by December 31. They were subsequently instructed to submit them immediately. Out of these 48 members, 10 have now complied, while some ministers and other prominent figures of the province have still not submitted declarations.
Across the country, more than 300 members of the four provincial assemblies, the National Assembly, and the Senate have yet to submit asset declarations. Action against these members will commence after January 15.
