EXPLORING THE IMPACT OF LANGUAGE POLICY ON NATIONAL INTEGRATION IN PAKISTAN: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS

Abstract

Language policy contributes decisively to the construction of national identity, social cohesion, and political stability in multilingual states. This is particularly the case in Pakistan, where not only do several major languages of the subcontinent coexist (including Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi and Saraiki), but also where the question of establishing an inclusive language policy has been crucial for national integration since gaining independence. This paper critically analyzes the influence of a language policy on national integration in Pakistan. It considers the declaration of Urdu as the national language having brought a long-time tussle between ethnolinguistic divisions and the permanent ascendancy of English in administrative matters into sharp relief, thus fueling historical divides including East Pakistan's secession (now Bangladesh) while leaving behind on-going regional grudges. The study claims that the language policy of Pakistan is on one hand designed as a strategy to show political symbolism towards indebted state character, and on other it addresses sick needs, opening up an implementation-policy gulf. Despite the symbolic claims of Urdu as a nationalizing force, other languages such as Sindhi exert strong ethnolinguistic and power-based roles in people’s lives: determining whether they belong or not, their access to resources and opportunities. The paper finally argues that language policy is not just an instrument of statecraft but a powerful weapon for nation-building, impacting both social cohesion and political order. This relationship is key to making sense of the ongoing tensions between centralization and regional autonomy in Pakistan.