Why is Pakistan swapping English for Urdu?

[daring dude]

The government is set to make Urdu its official language, 68 years after the country achieved independence from Britain.
16 Jul 2015 02:04 GMT | Politics, Asia, Pakistan

Pakistan is to abolish English as its official language in favour of Urdu.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is backing the move, which would mean a range of government documents - including passports, utility bills and websites - will be published in Urdu.

All speeches made at home and abroad, from the president down to state representatives, will also be conducted in Urdu.

The plan is to completely replace English with Urdu for official business within the next 10 to 15 years.

It follows concerns that many young Pakistanis are shunning their national dress and language to adopt a more Western point of view.

Is this part of a cultural and nationalist revival? Or will it lead to a breakdown in communications?

And how does this translate around the world?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests:

Javed Siddiq - Resident editor at Nawaiwaqt, a leading Urdu newspaper in Pakistan.

Mandana Seyfeddinipur - Director of the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Olga Fischer - Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Amsterdam.


Why is Pakistan swapping English for Urdu? - Al Jazeera English

 

[saurav]

Good progressive step.

 

[Sipahi]

 

[NaMaloom]

Lmao! The world is moving forward, Pakistan under Nawaz Sharif is going backwards.

 

[Musalman]

I was part of that generation which was experimented upon using Urdu and then our exams were taken in English.

I have to confess one thing I do not remember a single item from my matriculation examination in 1989 but remember and understood each and every thing I learnt in Urdu.

Nevertheless, this time they are only talking about changing letter writing in Urdu, for colleges medium of instruction will remain English.

It will be a good move since as a "zehni gholam" we tend to waste alot of time correcting English in offices. We will get rid of this thing.

 

[Ray_of_Hope]

The government is set to make Urdu its official language, 68 years after the country achieved independence from Britain.
16 Jul 2015 02:04 GMT | Politics, Asia, Pakistan

Pakistan is to abolish English as its official language in favour of Urdu.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is backing the move, which would mean a range of government documents - including passports, utility bills and websites - will be published in Urdu.

All speeches made at home and abroad, from the president down to state representatives, will also be conducted in Urdu.

The plan is to completely replace English with Urdu for official business within the next 10 to 15 years.

It follows concerns that many young Pakistanis are shunning their national dress and language to adopt a more Western point of view.

Is this part of a cultural and nationalist revival? Or will it lead to a breakdown in communications?

And how does this translate around the world?

Presenter: Richelle Carey

Guests:

Javed Siddiq - Resident editor at Nawaiwaqt, a leading Urdu newspaper in Pakistan.

Mandana Seyfeddinipur - Director of the Endangered Languages Documentation Programme at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London.

Olga Fischer - Professor of English Linguistics at the University of Amsterdam.


Why is Pakistan swapping English for Urdu? - Al Jazeera English

Because it the will of the majority of citizens of Pakistan

 

[Hyperion]

Excellent. More of local idiots will remain uneducated. Bravo ganja!

 

[Foxtrot-Bravo]

Wise step, Indeed.

 

[proud_indian]

Excellent. More of local idiots will remain uneducated. Bravo ganja!

are they also going to change the medium of schooling from english to urdu?

 

[Hyperion]

Most probably to Arabic, because it's more purer than the purest of languages!

are they also going to change the medium of schooling from english to urdu?

 

[proud_indian]

Most probably to Arabic, because it's more purer than the purest of languages!

no man seriously tell me are they?

 

[Hyperion]

Dude, if it is something really really really stupid, you can bet your *** that closet wahabos will do it!

no man seriously tell me are they?

 

[kez]

Most probably to Arabic, because it's more purer than the purest of languages!

Fantastic move!

And I hope you're right -
I pray to god that Pakistan does gradually shift and make Arabic a primary language!

 

[third eye]

Is this part of a cultural and nationalist revival? Or will it lead to a breakdown in communications?

When Politicians run out of ideas and / or when they are exposed, they usually resort to such populist schemes which mean nothing but give an impression of progress by instilling a false sense of nationality.

Changing names is also one of them. Chennai/ Calcutta/ Bombay is not any better than Madras/ Kolkatta/ Mumbai , nor is Ceylon any better off after becoming Sri Lanka and so on.

There are nations who would give their right hand to be fluent in english and speak it naturally but then who can discuss a populist scheme with a Politician ?

There is space for both languages - my views.

 

[Hyperion]

We already knew that Nawaz Sharif was R&AW's man in Pakistan!

Fantastic move!

And I hope you're right -
I pray to god that Pakistan does gradually shift and make Arabic a primary language!