Mind your language

This is with reference to Maryam Jameel’s letter ‘Mind your language’ (News Post, December 9). It is time we put at rest the belief that Urdu is spoken in most parts of the country. Forget rural areas, I have come across many people even in the city of Lahore who can neither speak nor understand Urdu. It was a mistake on our founding father’s part to declare Urdu as the national language of the country – a decision which played a major role in the break-up of Pakistan.
                
English is very easy to learn and parents should ensure that their children learn to speak it as early as possible. As for Urdu or any other first language, children eventually learn to speak them without effort anyway.

Shakir Lakhani
Karachi
(Published in The News, December 12, 2012)

0 comments