Pashto Language Islamabad: A recent crackdown on Pakistan's largest ethnic minorities became evident when the Pakistan Army banned Pashto in its Army Public Schools, media reports said on Saturday.
As it has been banned now in many schools of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, students have been warned they would be fined if caught speaking in the language, reports ANI.
In a statement, the head of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, Manzoor Pashteen said in response to this action as quoted by ANI: “Pashto has been removed from the media, curriculum, justice and politics for a long time, but in many schools, it is also forbidden to speak Pashto normally. We should learn many languages, but no one will ever ban Pashto, our mother tongue."
Pashteen further added and said that the national identity of the people will be lost if the language is lost by any means.
Human Rights Activist Naimat Ullah Wazir tweeted: " Army Public School Akora Khattak."
Journalist Arshad Yousafzai said: " Speaking Pashto is strictly prohibited in school. Those who speak Pashto will be fined Rs 50. This is what we are doing with our regional languages in schools."
Researcher Zubair Torwali tweeted: " You are colonials and colonized at the same time. You are the most visible legacy of the British Colonialism in sub-continent! #Pashto, the language of the majority of the students is banned in this school by the colonials! Photo via Fazal Khaliq."
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