ISLAMABAD, Feb 20 (APP): President, Asif Ali Zardari has called for renewed commitment to protecting and promoting the country’s diverse mother tongues and said linguistic diversity was a source of strength and a foundation for inclusive national development.
In his message on International Mother Language Day, observed annually on February 21, the president said language played a vital role in shaping identity, dignity and opportunity. He noted that Pakistan was home to a rich tapestry of languages including Punjabi, Pashto, Sindhi, Balochi, Seraiki, Brahvi, Hindko, Shina, Burushaski, Wakhi and Hazargi, reflecting centuries of shared history and cultural exchange.
He said that while Urdu served as a lingua franca connecting the Federation, mother tongues remained the first voice of children and the primary carriers of inherited knowledge and tradition.
“Language is more than a medium of speech. It shapes how communities remember their past, organise social life and understand the world around them. It carries moral traditions, local wisdom and inherited experience,” the president said, adding that when a language weakened, more than words were lost as a distinct way of seeing and interpreting reality began to fade.
Highlighting Pakistan’s multi-ethnic and multilingual character, the president said the challenge was not diversity itself but nurturing cohesion while safeguarding shared inheritance. He stressed that unity did not require uniformity but rested on mutual recognition and equal dignity.
President Zardari underscored the practical importance of mother tongues in education and daily life. He said a child who began schooling in a language spoken at home was more likely to develop cognitive skills, understand lessons, remain confident and continue education. In contrast, when instruction was delivered only in an unfamiliar language, learning gaps widened and dropout rates increased, particularly in the early years.
He also pointed out that farmers, artisans and small business owners often relied on local languages to access services, markets and information. Recognising and supporting mother tongues, he said, would strengthen not only cultural identity but also literacy, mobility and economic participation.
Citing research and international experience, the president said mother tongue-based multilingual education improved comprehension and supported the acquisition of additional languages, while safeguarding indigenous knowledge
embedded in local expression.
In Pakistan’s context, he said, careful integration of regional languages into education and public life could deepen national cohesion by affirming that every community’s heritage was valued within the Federation.
Referring to International Mother Language Day, he said the occasion called on all nations to protect linguistic diversity and promote multilingualism, as languages carried unique worldviews and ways of thinking. Protecting minority and regional languages, he added, was not merely symbolic but an investment in inclusive and sustainable societies.
“As we observe this day, let us renew our commitment to respecting and promoting all mother tongues of Pakistan.
In the new technological era, it is not difficult to promote any language,” the President said.
He added that by honouring the diversity of languages spoken across the country, Pakistan could strengthen the foundations of its democracy and ensure that every citizen felt heard, understood and represented.