DESPARDES News Monitor – Pakistan’s High Commissioner to the United Kingdom Mohammad Nafees Zakaria has urged Pakistani Diaspora to pay due attention to promotion of Urdu language and literature and keep the coming generation intact with their roots through the dynamics of Urdu literature specially poetry.
The Pakistani envoy stated this while addressing the closing ceremony of a seminar for promotion of Urdu language followed by a poetry recitation session in London.
The session was presided over by eminent poet and literary figure Iftikhar Arif from Pakistan. The literary evening was also attended by a large number of local notables including Prof. Iftikhar Malik of Bath University and Chairman Urdu Markaz London Javed Sheikh.
The poets recited their poems at the evening included Iftikhar Arif, Saira Batool, Dr.Hilal Farid, Rahat Rasheed, Dr.Naheed Kiayani, Faizan Arif and Aqeel Danish.
The UK is home to the largest Pakistani community in Europe, with the population of British Pakistanis exceeding 1.17 million based on the 2011 census.
Speaking at the occasion, High Commissioner Nafees Zakaria said national language plays a vital role in the unity and strength of a nation. Promotion of Urdu language and literature is a noble service to the nation and the coming generation.
British Pakistanis are the second-largest ethnic minority population in the United Kingdom and also make up the second-largest sub-group of British Asians. Most of their children need exposure to their national-origin language, according to some experts who say nearly 60 percent of all need Urdu exposure.
The envoy said that under Article 251 of the Constitution of Pakistan, Urdu was declared national language and it is an obligation of all academia to promote Urdu for the sake of knowledge and unity.
Pakistani thought-leaders consider Urdu as the common thread and the unifying force among the multi-ethnic Pakistani community- just as English in multi-ethnic USA.
The High Commission offered help to local diaspora to teach Urdu to their kids and the High Commission is willing to provide all necessary support, report APP.
