SILENCING NATIVE VOICES: THE CONTESTATION OF MOTHER TONGUES IN MULTILINGUAL PAKISTAN

Abstract

Pakistan is one of the world's most linguistically diverse nations, home to over sixty-eight languages that collectively constitute a living repository of culture, history, and identity. Yet this extraordinary diversity is under mounting pressure. The hegemony of Urdu as the national language and English as the language of professional prestige has progressively marginalized indigenous mother tongues, relegating them to informal and domestic spheres while depriving millions of children of an education grounded in their first language. This research examines the concept of mother tongue from linguistic, psychological, sociocultural, and educational perspectives; traces its historical trajectory from medieval Europe through the colonial period; analyses the contemporary sociolinguistic landscape of Pakistan; and makes the case for a balanced, rights-based language policy that preserves indigenous languages while embracing multilingualism as a national strength.