Punjab Mother Tongue Bill Tabled in Punjab Assembly

News Desk

Lahore: A new legislation has been introduced in the Punjab Assembly to make mother tongue a compulsory subject in schools across the province.

The proposed Punjab Mother Tongue (Maan Boli) Bill aims to include Punjabi, Saraiki, and other local languages in the educational curriculum to preserve and promote cultural heritage among children.

According to official sources from the Punjab Assembly Secretariat, the bill was presented by Assembly member Amjad Ali Javed. It proposes making local languages mandatory subjects at the primary level in all government, private schools, and religious seminaries (Madaris).

The bill stipulates that the mother tongue spoken in each district will be officially notified through a government gazette.

Moreover, the government will be responsible for preparing textbooks in the respective mother tongues and distributing them free of charge to students. Special training programs will also be arranged for teachers to effectively deliver these lessons.

Assembly members emphasized that the bill is intended to help the younger generation stay connected with their linguistic and cultural roots, ensuring the survival of local languages and traditions.

The Punjab Mother Tongue Bill has been referred to the relevant committee, which is expected to submit its report within two months. Following the committee’s recommendations, the bill will be presented for approval by the Punjab Assembly.