L A H O R E : Representatives of a number of organisations have condemned the circular issued by a private English medium school system for allegedly maligning Punjabi language.

World Punjabi Congress chairman Fakhar Zaman, along with Mudassar Iqbal Butt, Tariq Khurshid, Hafiz Sheikh, Parveen Malik, Iqbal Qaiser, Jamil Pal, Ahmed Raza, Akram Sheikh and Rashid Rana during a press conference on Friday criticised school systems for calling Punjabi a foul language.

They said the circular showed how the English medium school systems degraded the mother tongue of more than 70pc population of Pakistan, a press release stated.

The same attitude was unfortunately noticeable at the level of Punjab government, politicians, bureaucracy and those belonging to the pseudo culture, they deplored.

The speakers said despiteresolutions, press conferences and demonstrations, the chief minister had not declared Punjabi as the medium of instruction in schools and the demand for establishment of Punjabi university was also not given any attention.

They said all other provinces had declared their languages as medium of instruction at primary level while Punjabi had been brushed aside.

The speakers said nobody would be allowed to speak or act against the language of Waris Shah, Bulleh Shah, Shah Hussain and other Sufi poets. They warned institutions like the private school in question of demonstrations in front of their campuses in Punjab, demanding unconditional apology from the school and dismissal of the person concerned. They said the clarification issued by the institution was insufficient and showed arrogance.