Mother tongue day was celebrated here in Peshawar, hosted by Hindko Adabi Board.  Scholars, researchers and common people of eleven languages participated in it. Before the workshop a walk was made lead by the deputy speaker of NWFP Assembly Mr. Ikram Ullah Shahid. The MNA, Moulana Abdul Akber Chital was the Chief Guest.

The Speakers of eleven languages Khowar, Palula, Dameli, Kalasha, and Gawarbati languages of Chitral and Torwali, Gawri, and Gujri of Swat, Ormuri of South Waziristan, Pashai of Afghanistan along with Pashto and Hindko jointly celebrated the mother tongue day. All the participants made speeches in their mother tongues with translation in Urdu. Due to rough weather and blockage of road many representatives could not come from far flung areas but they sent their messages. 

Before the workshop, participant made a short walk holding banners demanding the development of the minor languages spoken in the area.

The people who delivered their speech  were Prof,  Khatir Ghaznavi , Dr, Zahoor Ahmad  Awan , Maj (r) Qazi Saeed , Rozi Khan Burki , Zia-ud-din , M. S. Shakib, Inam Ullah, Jahangir Khan, Qari Abdul Salam, , Shamshi Khan Kalami, Qazi Inayat Jalil, Asmatullah, Abdul Hakim Sailab, Fanoos Gujar, Muhammad Awais Qarni and Mutahir Shah.

In their speeches the participants demanded for the development of their languages. They demanded time in the media, especially on TV, and the appointment of local teachers in the school of their areas. “Our children are facing a great difficulty because the teachers come from other languages and our children do not understand their language” said by the researcher of Dameli language Mr. Asmat Ullah of Chitral.  

 At the end, a joint resolution was passed demanding establishment of government centre for training of people of minor languages and development of orthography of the languages at the University of Peshawar.

“We should hold meetings  three or four times  in a year  to discuss  about our  mother  tongues “  said  the  Chief guest  MNA Moulana Abdul Akber Chitrali. He also promised to deliver the messages of the speakers in National Assembly of Pakistan.

This was the first 1^st time that a great number of speakers of different languages gathered here in the provincial capital and made speeches on universal mother tongue day. The people hope the government will change its language policy to benefit all of the language communities.

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