ISLAMABAD - The Supreme Court of Pakistan on Wednesday directed the secretary federal ministry of education to file a reply for not implementing its judgment to adopt Urdu as national language.

A two-member bench of the apex court headed by Justice Umar Ata Bandial conducted hearing of the contempt petitions filed for not adopting Urdu as an official language and Punjabi in the Punjab. Advocate Kokab Iqbal had filed a contempt petition for not complying with the SC judgment, while Dr. Sami, a private citizen’s petition is regarding not implementing the judgment on Punjabi language.

The bench noted that the federal government has failed to implement the apex court judgment on Urdu, while the Punjab government did not comply with its judgment on Punjabi language.

The bench also sought a reply from the Punjab government for not teaching Punjabi literature in schools and colleges of the province. Justice Bandial remarked that when other provinces have taken measures for protecting their own languages then why the Punjab is lagging behind to protect Punjabi.

Justice Bandial said that the government should have taken practical steps for the implementation of the SC judgment for adopting Urdu as official language. He said besides education, the upbringing of children is another thing.

Justice Bandial said that it is also the citizens’ responsibility to make efforts to keep the national language alive, adding Urdu should be an international language. He observed that Urdu is not being promoted in the educational institutions. He said the federal government needed to identify departments which are responsible for promoting Urdu. He said they would seriously monitor the steps for adoption of Urdu as an official language.

Later, the bench deferred the hearing sine die.

The Supreme Court in September 2015 had directed the federal government departments to translate their policies and rules in Urdu in three months. It said the forms relating to all government and semi-government institutions will be in Urdu and at key public places like courts, police stations, hospitals, parks, educational institutions and banks the information signs will be in Urdu besides the English language. 

It said that likewise, contents of utility bills, passports, driving licences and various documents of the Auditor General’s office, Accountant General of Pakistan Revenue and Election Commission of Pakistan would also be in the national language. 

It further said, “In the governance of the federation and the provinces there is hardly any necessity for the use of the colonial language which cannot be understood by the public at large.”

The court said that even for many civil servants and public officials, who may have received education in English, this language would in most cases, not be the language most used by them.