ISLAMABAD: A meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Federal Education, Professional Training, National Heritage and Culture was convened under the chairmanship of Dr. Azim Uddin Zahid Lakhvi at the National University of Technology in Islamabad. The committee deferred deliberation on three legislative proposals to a future meeting.

According to National Assembly of Pakistan, the deferred bills include “The Reservation of Special Seats for Deserving Persons in Universities Bill, 2024,” “The Westminster University of Emerging Sciences and Technology Bill, 2024,” and “The Ghurki Institute of Science and Technology Bill, 2024.” The committee also urged the federal government to adhere to Article 251 of the Constitution of Pakistan, which mandates that all official correspondence and court work be conducted in Urdu, noting past governmental failures in this regard.

The committee received a briefing from the National Language Promotion Department (NLPD) concerning its various functions and initiatives. The briefing highlighted the department’s library resources, its efforts in the promotion of Urdu calligraphy, the publication of a monthly Urdu newspaper, and the development of a comprehensive dictionary collection. Additionally, the NLPD has been active in translating various books into Urdu to improve accessibility and comprehension.