Regional Languages of Pakistan and Sustainable Developmental Goals: A Systematic ‎Perspective

Abstract

This essay examines the situation of Pakistan's indigenous languages as well as the social and economic systems that jeopardize the rich linguistic legacy of the nation. Indigenous languages and traditions are vanishing at a startling rate on a global scale. The country of Pakistan is home to almost 70 different languages, several of which have subcategories within itself. The survival of numerous distinctive linguistic variations is gravely threatened in Pakistan as well.‎ In the paper, I provide case studies of instances where a native language is being preserved in the face of pressure from a more powerful language, as well as instances where a community's ancestral language is giving way to a more dominant language. These studies aim to identify the underlying causes of the phenomena of language maintenance and loss in Pakistan. Upon closer examination, it becomes evident that these concerns bear a strong connection to the topic of sustainable development. Communities of speakers who also teach the language to the next generation are necessary for languages to survive. ‎Only in areas with a livable environment and a means of subsistence can communities flourish. The socioeconomic struggles small communities experience is linked to the global loss of languages, and these struggles are linked to the methods used by contemporary civilizations to pursue economic progress. One of the paper's conclusions is that local communities' empowerment is a key component of effective, sustainable development, and that rather than displacing local cultures, languages, and the knowledge they contain, efforts made in this direction should strengthen them.‎