Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s biased words about Urdu language stirred strong reactions from social media users on Monday. At a PDM meeting in Bagh-e-Jinnah, Mahmood Achakzai, head of the Pashtunkhwa Milli Awami Party, in the Urdu-speaking city of Karachi, criticized Urdu whilst addressing the audience in Urdu and said that this was not our national language. Achakzai claimed that ‘our’ national language was Sindhi.
Achakzai claims Sindhi, not Urdu is our national language
Addressing the gathering, Mahmood Achakzai said that Urdu is ‘Lingua Franca’ but not our language. Not only that, but Achakzai also stated that Pashto should be respected, as should Sindhi, Balochi, Punjabi etc. Achakzai further reiterated that Sindh is the national language here (in Pakistan).
پی ڈی ایم کے جلسے میں پشتونخوا ملی عوامی پارٹی کے سربراہ محمود اچکزئی نے اردو کو ’لنگوا فرينکا‘ اور سندھی کو ’قومی زبان‘ قرار دے ديا pic.twitter.com/EEqoSPs7Pq
— SAMAA TV (@SAMAATV) October 19, 2020
Mahmood Achakzai in his speech whilst attacking the Urdu language seemed to have forgotten that the founder of Pakistan Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah had declared Urdu as the national language. There was, accordingly, a strong reaction from social media users. Social media users claimed that Mahmood Khan Achakzai is criticizing Urdu language and he is also speaking Urdu language and against Urdu language in a city where majority speaks Urdu language.
Social Media reacts to Achakzai comments
Social media users further said that Mahmood Khan Achakzai’s words were an insult to Quaid-e-Azam. It was Quaid-e-Azam who declared Urdu as the national language. People like Mahmood Khan Achakzai have an important role to play in promoting the politics of hatred and bigotry in Pakistan, one user said.
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Responding to this, the President of Jamaat-e-Islami Karachi Hafiz Naeem-ur-Rehman said that Mahmood Achakzai in the meeting of PDM Karachi had mocked the national language of Pakistan – Urdu – and said that it was not our language. “This is shameful and reprehensible. Did the leader of PDM and the chairman of the meeting Maulana Fazlur Rehman deny it?” inquired the president.
محمود اچکزئی نے پی ڈی ایم کراچی کے جلسے میں پاکستان کی قومی زبان اردو کی تضحیک اور کہایہ ہماری زبان نہیں۔ یہ شرمناک ہے، قابل مذمت ہے۔
کیا قائد پی ڈی ایم اور صدر جلسہ مولانافضل الرحمن نےاس کی تردید کی؟
اردوہماری قومی زبان بھی ہے اور قومی شناخت بھی.
#PDMJalsaKarachi— Naeem ur Rehman (@NaeemRehmanEngr) October 18, 2020
Commenting on Achakzai’s careless words, Syed Basit stated that Mahmood Achakzai rightly said that Urdu is not his language because Urdu can never be the language of traitors. Urdu cannot be the language of Modi’s friends. Urdu cannot be the language of those who spread chaos in the country. “The homeland is the language of Pakistanis,” he said.
محمود اچکزئی نے بلکل سہی کہا کہ اُردو اُس کی زبان نہیں ہے کیونکہ اُردو کبھی مُلک غداروں کی زبان نہیں ہوسکتی اُردو مودی کے یاروں کی زُبان نہیں ہوسکتی اُردو مُلک میں انتشار پھیلانے والوں کی زُبان نہیں ہوسکتی اُردو مُحبِ وطن پاکستانیوں کی زُبان ہے#اردو_قومی_زبان_ہماری_پہچان
— Syed Basit (@SyedBasit49) October 18, 2020
Social media user Saleem Safi refrained from mentioning the name of Mahmood Khan Achakzai and said that the speech against Urdu language by a speaker at the PDM’s Karachi meeting was reprehensible. “Urdu is the mother tongue of millions of Pakistanis, just like our backyard. Urdu is doubly respected.”
پی ڈی ایم کےکراچی جلسےمیں ایک مقرر کی طرف سےاردوزبان کےخلاف گفتگوقابل مذمت ہے۔پی ڈی ایم جس آئین کی بالادستی چاہتاہے،اس آئین کےآرٹیکل ۲۵۱ میں اردوکوپاکستان کاقومی زبان قراردیاگیا ہے۔ اردو اسی طرح لاکھوں پاکستانیوں کی مادری زبان ہےجسطرح ہماری پشتوہے۔یوں اردو دگنی محترم ہے۔ pic.twitter.com/WiQpg8VJAY
— Saleem Safi (@SaleemKhanSafi) October 19, 2020
Commenting, Dr. Sahib said that Mahmood Khan Achakzai should stop insulting Urdu by giving speeches in Urdu. “Not only Urdu but also the constitution has been insulted” he claimed.
محمود خان اچکزئی اردو میں تقاریر کرکے اردو ہی کی توہین کرنا بند کرو،جس آئین کی بالادستی کی تم بات کرتے ہو اس آئین میں واضح الفاظ میں اردو کو قومی زبان کا درجہ دیا گیا ہے،تم نے اردو کی ہی نہیں آئین کی بھی توہین کی ہے#اردو_قومی_زبان_ہماری_پہچان
— Doctor Sahab (@dr_sahab_72) October 19, 2020
Another Twitter user, Babar Pansota, questioned why Mahmood Khan Achakzai kept insulting the Urdu language. “Did any journalist do any program on it? Why is this not being covered?” he inquired.
https://twitter.com/babar_pansota/status/1318257548236099584?s=20