Languages of Pakistan

Pakistan is considered to be a linguistically diverse countries in South Asia, with over 75 languages are spoken across its regions, according to the Ethnologue (2023) and the Pakistan Bureau of Statistics (2017 census). Every person knows that language shows the heritage, culture, and identity of people. For many years, the official language of Pakistan Is Urdu. Pakistan has many distinctive and different languages such as Urdu, Punjabi, English, Sindhi, Pashto, and Balochi. Language is a method of communication used by humans to convey their ideas to others through speaking or writing. There are many minority languages spoken in Pakistan like Shina, Balti, Khowar, Dhatki, Kashmiri, and many others but the major languages are Sindhi, Balochi, Saraiki, Pashto, and Punjab. Pakistan’s national language is Urdu and almost every Pakistani whether he belongs to Sindh, or Punjab can speak Urdu. Each province has its own provisional languages which are considered as the symbol of that province. Most of the languages which are spoken in Pakistan are of Indo-Iranian origin.

How Many Languages are Spoken in Pakistan

Official Languages of Pakistan

Pakistan’s constitution recognizes two official languages: Urdu and English. Urdu, a language born in the Indian subcontinent, is a harmonious blend of Persian, Arabic, and various local languages. It serves as a cultural and national unifier, representing Pakistan’s rich literary heritage.

English, inherited from the colonial era, holds a dominant position in government, judiciary, education, and business sectors. It serves as a key medium of instruction and is often associated with social mobility and progress.

Urdu:

Urdu is considered to be the national language of Pakistan and it is the perfect combination of many languages like Arabic, Persian, and many local languages. It is very much similar to Hindi. If we talk about the Sindhi language then it is spoken in the Sindh province. According to a survey, almost 26 million people speak Sindhi in Pakistan. It is considered to be an Indo-Aryan language. Moreover, the Sindhi language has 15 vowels and 47 consonant phonemes.  Furthermore, in the case of the Pashto language, it is spoken in the province of North West Frontier Province. This language is also known as Pathani. This language is considered to be an Iranian language. Moreover, the Punjabi language is spoken in the Punjab province. It is considered to be an Indo-European language. Balochi language is spoken in the Baluchistan province and it is considered to be an Iranian language and is much similar to the Kurdish language. Apart from all these languages, English is considered to be an official language nowadays. This language is used in order to communicate with other countries all over the world.

It became the official and national language of Pakistan during the 11^th century. If we talk about the history of the Urdu language then the Mughal leaders gave importance and significance to the Urdu language and made this language as an official language. Moreover, the Urdu language uses identical or similar letters to the Farsi and Arabic languages. On the other hand, the Urdu speaker does not normally pronounce each letter in Urdu as Arabic speakers normally pronounce it. Moreover, the Urdu language has similar words to the Farsi language. Furthermore, during the 20^th century, Pakistan plays a very important role in world events in order to promote the Urdu language. Apart from the Urdu language, English also became an important and official language and now government officials use the English language in order to conduct business.

• Current Affairs of Pakistan

Punjabi:

The Punjabi language is linked with the province of Punjab. Almost 44% of Pakistani use to speak this language. It has different dialects like Saraiki, Hindko, and Majhi Punjabi. This language also varies from city to city in dialects. The Punjabi language has Shahmukhi script which also includes Urdu alphabets. This language was started in 600 BC and is also related to Vedic Sanskrit and Classical Sanskrit.

• Spoken by: 44% of population

• Region: Punjab province

• Script: Shahmukhi (variant of Persian script)

• Dialects: Majhi (standard), Pothohari, Hindko, and others

• Fun Fact: Despite its dominance, Punjabi has limited presence in formal education and national media.

Pashto:

Pashto is the 2^nd largest language of Pakistan which is spoken and understood by almost 15.42%. This language is mainly spoken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other areas like FATA and Balochistan. This language has two major dialects Southern Pashto and Northern Pashto. This language represents the culture of the Pakhtoon or Pashtun people.

• Spoken by: 15.4%

• Region: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, parts of Balochistan

• Family: Iranian

• Dialects: Northern and Southern Pashto

• Culture: Strong oral traditions of poetry (e.g., Khushal Khan Khattak, Rehman Baba)

Sindhi:

It is 3^rd largest language spoken by Pakistanis. Almost 14.5% of Pakistanis use to communicate this language. Sindhi is derived from Sanskrit and originated from Indo Aryan language. It is not only spoken in Pakistani but also some Indians also use to communicate in this language. The Sindhi Language is considered the symbol of the Sindh province as well as the Sindhi People.

• Spoken by: 14.5%

• Region: Sindh

• Script: Arabic-based, with unique phonetic features

• Origin: Derived from Sanskrit and Prakrit

• Preservation Efforts: Sindhi is taught in schools and has dedicated news channels like KTN News

Balochi:

Balochi is the 4^th largest language in Pakistan. Only 4% of Pakistanis used to speak Balochi and most of the people who used to speak this language belong to the province of Balochistan. It is believed that this language originated in the 10^th century. Rakshani and Sarhaddi are the major dialects of this language and it has also many other dialects like Kalati, Chagai-Kharani, and many others.

• Spoken by: ~3–4%

• Region: Balochistan

• Dialects: Rakshani, Sarhaddi, Kalati

• Roots: Iranian languages; shares features with Kurdish and Persian

• Status: Limited in media and formal schooling, needs policy support

Language is the most important asset of a country which tells about the culture and people of the country. There are many other languages that are being communicated in Pakistan like Saraiki, Kashmiri, and many others. These four are the major languages and are spoken country widely while the other languages are only limited to the tribes and cities.

On the whole, after discussing the Languages of Pakistan List it is easy to conclude that there are many languages spoken in Pakistan but the two most important are Urdu and English. The government of Pakistan should organize different events both at national and international events in order to promote the Urdu language. Finally, today the Urdu language is gaining rapid popularity all over the world and now its become an identity that the Urdu language is the national language of Pakistan.

FAQs:

Q: How many languages are spoken in Pakistan?

A: There are over 70 languages spoken in Pakistan, including two official languages, five regional languages, and numerous lesser-known languages.

Q: What are the most spoken languages in Pakistan?

A: The most spoken languages in Pakistan are Punjabi, Sindhi, Urdu, Pashto, and Saraiki.

Q: What is the role of English in Pakistan?

A: English holds a dominant position in the sectors of government, judiciary, education, and business in Pakistan. It is one of the two official languages of the country.

Q: How is linguistic diversity being preserved in Pakistan?

A: Efforts are being made to preserve linguistic diversity in Pakistan by introducing regional languages in education and digitizing local language resources.