Veteran actress Saba Hamid has called on parents to prioritise the promotion of native languages as a crucial aspect of their children’s upbringing.

In a recent post, Hamid highlighted the risk of native languages facing extinction if not diligently passed down to future generations. She emphasised that the neglect of native languages in favour of foreign tongues undermines cultural identity. “Speak your native language to your children or watch it die within the next 20 years,” Hamid warned in her post. She criticised the tendency to look down on those who speak native languages, arguing that it reflects poorly on cultural pride. “Looking down on your relatives who speak your native tongue because you speak perfect English is stupid. It is like being proud of borrowed clothes,” she added. Hamid’s comments resonated with many, and her stance aligns with a previous critique by actress Hina Bayat. Bayat had expressed concern over the increasing use of English as a status symbol while belittling Urdu, Pakistan’s national language. “It saddens me when I see we have started taking pride in not knowing Urdu,” Bayat wrote on Instagram. She emphasized, “When you negate your own language, you lose out on your culture, literature, history, and ultimately your identity. It is far more important to excel at your own language before trying the same for another.”