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Urdu’s the only language that connects people of all provinces: Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar

Urdu’s the only language that connects people of all provinces: Karachi Mayor Wasim Akhtar

He also pointed out that the Urdu-speaking community has not been given its due rights
Updated 17 Aug, 2018

KARACHI: City Mayor Wasim Akhtar said on Thursday that Urdu was the only language that connected people living in all provinces of the country.

“Ancestors of the Urdu-speaking community gave unprecedented sacrifices in the creation of Pakistan, but they were never given their right in the previous regimes which always implemented quota system while the community always played key roles in the formation of governments,” he said.

The mayor was addressing a ceremony held on the campus of the Federal Urdu University of Arts, Science and Technology (FUUAST) on the 57th death anniversary of Baba-i-Urdu Maulvi Abdul Haq. Earlier, Mr Akhtar laid wreath on his grave and offered fateha.

He said FUUAST had played a commendable role in the promotion of Urdu language and the Karachi Metropolitan Corporation (KMC) would allocate funds for the university in its next budget.

FUUAST Vice Chancellor Dr S. Altaf Hussain, Anjuman Taraqqi-i-Urdu president Zulqarnain Jamil and honorary secretary Dr Fatima Hassan, KMC officials, teachers and others were also present on the occasion.

The mayor paid tribute to the services of Baba-i-Urdu in the establishment of the university and his efforts in the promotion of Urdu as national language. His mission would continue, he said, adding that “we all will make sure that Urdu gets its right place in our country”.

Offal removal strategy

Presiding over a high-level meeting, the mayor stressed the need of adopting a strategy for removal of offal of sacrificial animals on the forthcoming Eidul Azha that could ensure proper cleanliness and better sanitation during all three days of the religious festival.

Mr Akhtar said the KMC municipal department had established the central control room at the KMC head office whereas a complaint number (1339) would also be activated on round-the-clock basis to address any complaints during Eid. Trenches had been dug in different districts of the city to dispose of offal scientifically, he said.

He said that the elected representatives along with KMC officers and district staff would oversee the whole operation in their remits.

The mayor also appealed to the people to put the offal or other remains of sacrificial animals only in the open space for lifting and disposal by municipal staff.

Representatives of the departments concerned and civic agencies attended the meeting.


Originally published in Dawn, August 17th, 2018

Comments

Karachiwala Aug 17, 2018 11:05am
No...Urdu was forced upon all provinces.
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Awan Aug 17, 2018 12:23pm
I belong from the migrant Punjabi family and let me tell you that less than 30 percent of the total migrants from India were Urdu speakers. The rest were all non-Urdu speakers. So what about the sacrifices of non-Urdu speaker migrants?. The major migration had taken place from Punjab to Delhi regions and their first language was not Urdu. So why only the sacrifices of Urdu speakers should be recognized, but not of all others?. One community should not hijack this migration sentiment in my view.
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Imtiaz Ali Khan Aug 17, 2018 12:47pm
I love Urdu I'm a Sindhi but humanity is what connects all Pakistanis not Urdu or Sindhi etc., Please stop playing Mohajir/Urdu card MQM was Rejected by our Urdu speaking families in Karachi. Inshallah we one day will reject PPP Zardari Group once we are free to vote like what Karachiets did. I learned Urdu from my teacher she came and settle in interior Sindh from Lucknow, India. Urdu is so sweet, I like Urdu like my own Sindhi or like our Punjabi, Balochi, Pasthu...... and all other languages of Pakistan. I feel comfort when I speak in Sindhi. MQM is a menace so good to see it become a smaller party of Karachi, pray for Zardari and familiy to become like MQM in interior Sindh. Inshallah. No more language politics we all humans first.
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Ishtiaque Aug 17, 2018 03:17pm
Urdu does not need Pakistan but Pakistan needs Urdu. Urdu connects South Asia people all over the world. I live in the USA and can talk in Urdu with the people of India, Sirilanka, Bangladesh so it is now an international language.
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S Aug 17, 2018 04:20pm
Do you even know how much is financial impact of maintaining writing right to wrong? Get some analysis done.
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Anujit Aug 17, 2018 06:07pm
Urdu is an imported (from India) language and being spoken by only 7.5% of total populace in Pakistan. How come it be a connecting glue for people living in all provinces of the country?
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AZAM AKBAR Aug 17, 2018 11:08pm
Urdu was not the language of Quaid-E-Azam, Khwaja Nazimuddeen, Hussain Shaheed Suharwardy, Moulvi Tameezuddeen Khan, Shaheed-e-Millat Liaquat Ali Khan, Qazi Isa, Sardar Abdur Rab Nashtar, Mader-e-Millat Mohtarma Fatima Jinnah, Khwaja Khairuddeen,
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AZAM AKBAR Aug 17, 2018 11:11pm
And they made Urdu a national language. Pakistan needs Urdu and without Urdu no communication amongst the people.
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Zub Aug 18, 2018 10:10am
Even though the mayor os correct in term of the Importance of the Urdu language, however, we shall not forget that it was party which brought the destruction of Urdu in the city. MQM leadership in the city did nothing to preserve, protect, or promote the Urdu language. As a matter of fact the very name of their party reflects how much they truly love their language. It is a shame when you hear MQM members using english in their speeches and advertising.
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S.G. Haider Aug 19, 2018 05:34pm
This speech of the mayor is not a constructive contribution, and not adequate to bring peace and harmony among the people of Pakistan, who love their mother tongue as well as Urdu. Allama Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz and Ahmad Faraz have done more to develop and enrich Urdu than the short-sighted MQM.
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M. Emad Aug 20, 2018 02:48pm
Urdu’s the only language that dis-connected people of East-Pakistan vs West-Pakistan provinces.
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