LAHORE - Like the other part of the country, the International Mother Language Day observed in Lahore with a pledge to gain due status to the ‘Maa Boli’.
A rally was taken out from the Lahore Press Club to the Punjab Assembly to mark the day in which a large number of people including civil rights organizations, students, lawyers, teachers, literary bodies, poets, Punjabi intellectuals and writers participated.
The participants demanded of the Punjab government to make Punjabi as medium of education. The rally led by Pakistan Punjabi Literary Board was participated by more than 25 organization working for the promotion of mother tongue. Participants were holding placards and banners inscribed with slogans for the promotion of Punjabi language. They were demanding for the implementations of charter of demands presented by Pakistan Punjabi Literary Board vide a memorandum.
According to the charter of demand presented by the Pakistan Punjabi Literary Board, activists of Punjabi language rights asked the government declare Punjabi Language a compulsory subject from class one like other provinces of the country where the native language is being teaches from primary class.
They also asked Punjab government to make appointments of Punjabi Language teachers in primary and high schools. While in the third demand it was stressed that appointments on the vacant posts of Punjabi Language teachers in colleges must immediately made and Punjabi language should be given special attention.
They further demanded that the constitution of Pakistan as well as International Human Rights manifesto have admitted that every child has right to get education in his mother tongue and this right must also be given to Punjabi children too.
Addressing the participants of rally, Opposition Leader in Punjab Assembly Mian Mahmoodur Rashid said that his party would try to motivate provincial government and ruling party legislators to introduce a bill in the assembly to declare education of Punjabi language from primary level to secondary level.
He, however, pledged that if treasury benches legislators would not cooperate in this regard the combined Opposition in Punjab Assembly would bring in a resolution in the house to declare Punjabi language education a compulsory subject.
In Peshawar,  students took out rallies here outside press club. Activists of Pakhtun Students Organisation (PSO) led by its President Bihram Khan Mohmand carrying placards inscribed with slogans in favour of Mother Language. They also raised their full-throated slogans in favour of their demand to introduce primary education in mother language to children.
Addressing the gathering, PSO leaders said that in all the developed countries, they are giving education in their mother/ regional languages but unfortunately here in Pakistan a language of the aliens was imposed upon the nation. They said that it was time to stand on own feet and introduce education system in regional mother language and thus stand in the line of developed countries of the world. They also urged to introduce Pashtu as official, judicial and teaching language.
Meanwhile, the Gandhara Hindko Board also took out a rally here outside press club to observe the Day. The workers of Hinhko board led by Board Joint Secretary Sikandar Hayat were carrying placards inscribed with slogans in favour of mother language. The Mother Language Day was being celebrated across the globe on Friday, but mother languages were not given its due position, they lamented.
They asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government to ensure giving education in mother languages, as all the developed countries giving education in the regional languages.
Similarly, students hailing from various government-run schools under the banner of Dr Khan Tehreek also took out a rally to mark the Day and asked the government to make compulsory Pashto language in syllabus.
The rally spearheaded by the Tehreek Chairman Abid Khan and Vice President Mirajud Din were holding placards and banner inscribed with slogans in favour of their demand to introduce mother language in educational system.