First Mandarin, and now Arabic – How Pakistan makes use of ‘language card’ to appease its masters and lenders

A debt-ridden nation like Pakistan typically has to bend over backwards to appease its masters and lenders in order to make sure that the loans proceed to be handed in a hassle-free means. After its conventional allies, Saudi Arabia and UAE severed their ties with Pakistan after Imran Khan’s zeal for forming a parallel Islamic physique on the traces of Organisation of Islamic Countries, Pakistan is now utilizing the age-old language card by making Arabic a compulsory language in colleges to appease the Arabs in a determined bid to placate them and urge them to offer additional loans to the cash-strapped nation.Only a handful of geostrategic consultants would have envisaged that Saudi Arabia and UAE wouldn’t solely abandon Pakistan and cease granting loans to the cash-strapped nation but additionally ask for early reimbursement of current loans, such is the predicament of Pakistan underneath the stewardship of Imran Khan.Now, Pakistan has gone again to the oldest trick in its ebook as Pakistan Senate has unanimously handed a invoice which makes the educating of Arabic necessary within the nation’s federal capital.The ‘Compulsory Teaching of Arabic Language Bill 2020’ which had been launched as a non-public member’s invoice by Javed Abbasi of the PML-N earlier in August 2020, states that the Arabic language might be taught from class I to V and grammar from VI to XII.The legislation might be relevant to “the students in all educational institutions of Islamabad Capital Territory (ICT), including educational institutions affiliated with the Federal Board of Intermediate and Secondary Education and all public sector institutions owned and controlled by the federal government, wherever they may be”.The invoice states, “There shall be in all educational intuitions compulsory teaching of (a) Arabic language in classes, grades or, as the case may be, level I to V in a prescribed manner; and (b) the grammar of Arabic language in classes, grades or, as the case may be, levels VI to XII in such prescribed manner so that proficiency in Arabic language is completed up to class, grade or, as the case may be, level XII.”There’s completely no ambiguity in what the invoice needs to realize – firstly, to placate Pakistan’s Arab masters and secondly, to have a deeper understanding of the Holy Quran written in Arabic.Read More: After backlash from Saudis, Pakistan is all set to sacrifice Shah Mehmood Qureshi on the political altar of Imran KhanThe invoice reads, “besides having religious importance for Muslims, Arabic is among the five largest spoken languages of the world. A large number of population from around the world seeks to do business and employment in the rich Arab states. Thus, knowledge of Arabic language will not only enlighten the understanding of Islam and the message of Holy Quran, it will also broaden the employment and business opportunities for the citizens of Pakistan as well.”Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Senator Raza Rabbani voiced his dissent towards the invoice, nonetheless, he didn’t vote towards the invoice. He moderately permitted of the invoice from the primary day, the state has been making efforts to impose Arabic tradition on Pakistan.“Arabic culture is not my culture. Indus Valley Civilisation is my culture,” thundered Rabbani. Unfortunately for Rabbani, his views obtained backlash from all of the events.It is pertinent to notice that in lieu of China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Pakistan had earlier failingly tried to make Mandarin obligatory. Rabbani’s social gathering colleague, Rehman Malik argued that if they might study Chinese just for financial good points, what’s mistaken in studying Arabic.Talks about Mandarin, the predominant language utilized in China, to be made obligatory in colleges round Sindh and Punjab did the rounds within the authorities circles all by way of 2011-15. This was, nonetheless, repealed following widespread public protests.Read More: Is Pakistan turning right into a Chinese colony?The language card is outdated and except Pakistan course corrects its means, there’s no probability that the Arab World led by Saudi Arabia and UAE would forgive Pakistan for its makes an attempt to crown Turkey President Erdogan because the chief of the Islamic World.