DNA

OTTAWA – Canadian Pakistanis while participating in the Canadian census can report any language they want, including Pakistan’s national language Urdu, Pakistani Punjabi, Pakistani Pashto, Pakistani Sindhi and Pakistani Balochi etc, at any level of detail, communication by Pakistan High Commission Canada with relevant Canadian authorities has confirmed.

The High Commission for Pakistan Canada had requested the Canadian government to distinguish Shahmukhi Punjabi which is written and spoken in Pakistan from the Gurmukhi Punjabi which is written and spoken in India.

The High Commission had also requested for inclusion of Urdu in the category of individual national language.  During the process of subsequent correspondence, the High Commission for Pakistan Canada had also sought a clarification regarding other languages spoken in Pakistan i.e., Balochi, Pashto and Sindhi. 

In response, the Statistics Canada, Government of Canada has confirmed that the Canadians of Pakistani origin are free to mention any language while filling the census form, at any level of detail. They can freely mention Pakistani Punjabi, Pakistani Pashto, Pakistani Sindhi, Pakistani Balochi, etc. as well as Urdu which is Pakistan’s national language, while responding to the language questions on the census as per clarification from the Statistics Canada.