For the first time since the Partition of India, several universities in Pakistan have introduced departments dedicated to the study of Sanskrit. The Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS) has launched a quarterly diploma programme in the language. According to the institute’s director, Dr. Ali Ustad Qasmi, the Board of Studies believes that a thorough understanding of Arabic and Persian grammar is difficult without knowledge of Sanskrit. Notably, a significant number of Muslim young women have shown interest in enrolling in the course.
Dr. Ali Usman Qasmi has also stated that other universities in Pakistan have revived Sanskrit courses within their “Classical Languages” departments and have begun appointing Muslim scholars proficient in Sanskrit. These institutions include the University of the Punjab in Lahore. Interestingly, a university bearing the same name was established in Indian Punjab after the Partition.
Although the two universities share a common name—with only a minor difference in English spelling—both have distinct histories since 1947. Sanskrit, along with Arabic, Persian, and other Oriental languages, is taught at institutions such as Karachi University and Punjab University, Lahore. The University of the Punjab in Pakistan (Lahore) and Panjab University in India (Chandigarh) were originally founded in Lahore in 1882, before being separated by the Partition.
Recent developments at Punjab University in Pakistan include the introduction of Sanskrit classes and clashes between student groups during Holi celebrations. Meanwhile, Punjab University in India has witnessed student protests related to Senate elections and a controversial affidavit. Together, these events reflect both the shared historical roots and the evolving contemporary challenges faced by the two universities on either side of the border.
Both universities, in their original form, were established in Lahore in undivided Punjab in 1882, making them one of the oldest universities on the subcontinent. After the partition of India, Punjab University (Lahore) became part of Pakistan, and East Punjab University (PU) was established in India, which later relocated to Chandigarh.
Recently, Punjab University in Pakistan established a Guru Nanak Chair and also started Sanskrit classes, emphasizing the shared heritage. In March 2023, a clash occurred between Hindu students and the Islamic Jamiat-e-Tulaba (IJT) over Holi celebrations, resulting in injuries to some students, and the university administration stated that it would not permit Holi celebrations on campus.
In November 2024, students protested against the announcement of the Senate election date and a controversial affidavit (which violated students’ right to protest), after which the administration had to withdraw the affidavit. Punjab University Chandigarh is one of the top universities in India and has received an NAAC A++ grade, reflecting its academic quality.
Punjab University Lahore is a residential and affiliating university located in Lahore. It was established in 1882 to take over some colleges affiliated with the University of Calcutta (Kolkata), whose jurisdiction extended to most of northern India and parts of Myanmar. After the creation of Pakistan in 1947, the Lahore-based university relinquished its colleges located in Indian territory, which later became affiliated with the newly established Punjab University in Chandigarh, India.
The original university in Lahore has several colleges and postgraduate faculties in arts, science and engineering, Islamic and Oriental studies, law, commerce, medicine and dentistry, and education. All instruction is conducted in English. Neighboring Pakistan is a country full of contradictions. These days, there are preparations to introduce a constitutional amendment bill that would grant Punjabi the status of a national language, but this bill is not only about the Punjabi language. Discussions are also underway regarding granting national language status to the Sindhi, Pashto, and Balochi languages.
The reality is that the number of Urdu speakers in all of Pakistan is only 13.5 million. Punjabi speakers are at the top, numbering approximately 80 million. Sindhi speakers are in second place (31 million), followed by Pashto (30 million) in third place, and Balochi in fourth. It’s also a fact that there are approximately 20 million people who speak and read Bahawalpuri, or Multani, a dialect of Punjabi.
Punjabi newspapers and magazines are published there, books are available, and book exhibitions and Punjabi poetry recitals are held. It’s also interesting to note that from Lahore to Islamabad, Punjabi still dominates in markets, malls, social gatherings, and political rallies. If you ever visit Lahore, you’ll find that 85 percent of the signs and nameplates of businesses are in Punjabi. ‘Virsa’, ‘Sifti Ghar’, ‘Sadi Virasat’, ‘Faiz Ghar’, ‘Manto da Ashiana’, ‘Babe di Hatti’, ‘Lahori Kulcha Corner’, ‘Bebe da Parlor’, ‘Phulkari’, ‘Lachhmi Mansion’ are some of the well-known shops and malls there.
Tonga (horse-drawn carriages) and tempos (three-wheelers) are still common, although rickshaws have disappeared. Street vendors in the lanes of Anarkali Bazaar still sell their goods by shouting out their wares, just like in the markets of Amritsar or Chandni Chowk in Delhi. All these conversations are limited to the Punjabi language. The only difference is that the script used for Punjabi there is not Gurmukhi, like ours. Punjabi is written and read in Shahmukhi (i.e., the Persian script). Writers like Iqbal, Faiz Ahmed Faiz, Ahmed Nadeem Qasmi, and Qateel Shifai wrote as much in Punjabi as they did in Urdu.
There’s also the issue of pronunciation. People in Pakistani Punjab speak Urdu with a Punjabi accent. A Muslim from Multan incorporates a Multani accent into his Urdu. The same is true for the people of Balochistan. Pure Urdu pronunciation is rarely heard there. The “elite class,” or upper class, certainly attempts to speak with correct pronunciation, but most of them now speak English.
According to government statistics, 88 percent of people in Lahore use only Punjabi in their daily conversations. Their idioms, proverbs, folk songs, curses, and terms of endearment are all far more authentic than those found in Indian Punjab. Throughout Pakistani Punjab, the percentage of Punjabi speakers is 92.6 percent, while even in the Islamabad Capital Territory, 72.66 percent of the people speak Punjabi. In the Sindh region, the number of Punjabi speakers is also 10 percent.
