# National Language Promotion Department > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/National_Language_Promotion_Department > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/National_Language_Promotion_Department.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Language_Promotion_Department > Source revision: 1350599768 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) {{Short description|Autonomous regulatory institution of Pakistan}} {{Infobox company | name = National Language Authority | logo = Muqtadra.jpg | type = Attached Department | genre = | foundation = {{start date and age|1979}} | founder = | location_city = [Islamabad](/source/Islamabad) | location_country = [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan) | location = | key_people = | area_served = Standardisation and promotion of [Urdu](/source/Urdu) | industry = | products = | services = | revenue = | operating_income = | net_income = | num_employees = | parent = | divisions = 6 | subsid = | owner = | homepage = http://www.nlpd.gov.pk | dissolved = | footnotes = }} The '''National Language Promotion Department''' ({{langx|ur|{{Nastaliq|اِدارۂ فروغِ قومی زُبان}}}} {{Transliteration|ur|''Idāra-ē Farōġ-ē Qaumī Zabān''}} {{IPA|hns|ɪ.ˈd̪aː.rə.eː fə.ˈroːɣ.eː ˈqɔː.mi zə.ˈbaːn|}}), formerly known as the '''National Language Authority''' (or '''Urdu Language Authority'''),Zia (1999) is an [autonomous](/source/autonomous) [regulatory](/source/regulatory) [institution](/source/institution) established in 1979 to support the advancement and promotion of [Urdu](/source/Urdu), which is the [national language](/source/national_language) of [Pakistan](/source/Pakistan). Its status now has been changed to attached department. Initially it was aimed at creating synergy between [national](/source/Government_of_Pakistan) and [provincial](/source/Subdivisions_of_Pakistan) governments and institutions for using Urdu. However, with time, it expanded its horizons to include [standardisation](/source/standardisation) and [linguistic](/source/Linguistics) aspects such as [orthography](/source/orthography) and [lexicography](/source/lexicography). It also provides recommendations for maximizing use of the Urdu language in all walks of life. In this respect, large amounts of [legal](/source/legal) and [scientific](/source/scientific) documents are [translated](/source/Translation) from [English](/source/English_language) and other [language](/source/language)s for publication into Urdu. These efforts have resulted in greater awareness of the language's potential as well as its localisation.Rahman (2004) Recently, the status and name of organization has been changed from National Language Authority to National Language Promotion Department. The National Language Promotion Department is now an attached department of Ministry of National Heritage & Integration. Renowned short-story writer and educationist [Dr. Anwaar Ahmad](/source/Anwaar_Ahmad) was the last Chairman of the NLA, as the post has been converted to Director General (D.G.). == Objectives == The institution aims to facilitate the use and adoption of Urdu language through [publication](/source/publication)s and other reading materials for [individual](/source/individual)s and organisations. It also provides linkages for [cooperation](/source/cooperation) and [collaboration](/source/collaboration) among various [academic](/source/Academy), [research](/source/research) and [education](/source/education)al institutions for use of Urdu language and native languages of the country. Over the years efforts have also been made to promote and facilitate Urdu as an [official](/source/official) and [business](/source/business) language, as a [medium of instruction](/source/medium_of_instruction), and as a medium of expression in the country. == Organisation == The organisational structure consists of six divisions that include: [Dictionary](/source/Dictionary) section (''Darul Lughaat''), [Translation](/source/Translation)s section (''Darul Tarjuma''), [Literature](/source/Literature) section (''Darul Tasneef''), and [Publication](/source/Publication)s section (''Darul Isha’at'') respectively. There is also a department of [Urdu Informatics](/source/Urdu_Informatics) (اردو اطلاعیات) to carry out research in developing the suitable hardware and software for the use of language in electronic media. A dedicated [library](/source/library) contains extensive resources on Urdu, and issues regular Urdu Bulletins.Ahmed(1990), pp. 1-3 == Key activities == [[Image:Urdukey.jpg|thumb|250px|[Urdu keyboard](/source/Urdu_keyboard) layout]] The institution has published a wide range of general, scientific and technical dictionaries and an Urdu [Thesaurus](/source/Thesaurus). Especially, the ''Qaumi English-Urdu Dictionary'' has been based on [Webster's Dictionary](/source/Webster's_Dictionary). A vast amount of literature has also been produced to encourage reading habits among children. In 1980, the Authority standardisedSajjad (1999) the [Urdu keyboard](/source/Urdu_keyboard) layoutAziz (1987) for [typewriter](/source/typewriter)s based on [Naskh](/source/Naskh_(script)) script. Later on, with the arrival of the [digital age](/source/Information_Age), the layout was improved for [teleprinter](/source/teleprinter)s and [Information processing](/source/Data_processing).Afzal (1997) Subsequently, in 1998 efforts were initiated to standardize Urdu encoding, which resulted in the formation of ''Urdu Zabta Takhti'' (اردو ضابطہ تختی) (UZT). This development was inline with the efforts to cope with the emerging demands of Urdu applications from word processing to mega-scale projects such as [Computerised National Identity Cards](/source/Identity_document) by [NADRA](/source/NADRA) and a number of [E-Governance](/source/E-Governance) initiatives by the national government. In July 2000, UZT 1.01 was standardised for all kinds of electronic computing, communications, and storage.Afzal and Hussain (2002) Based on this version, Urdu language support was incorporated into the Versions 3.1 and 4.0 of [Unicode](/source/Unicode). Localization of [Microsoft](/source/Microsoft) applications like Windows and Office in Urdu is also done by then NLA, now NLPD. As of 2026 it had published 800 books as well about 125 bibliographies and booklets for reference purposes.{{Cite web |last=Parekh |first=Rauf |date=2026-01-26 |title=literary notes : Bibliography and Urdu bibliographies |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1969138 |access-date=2026-03-14 |website=Dawn |language=en}} == Notes == {{reflist}} == See also == * [National Council for Promotion of Urdu Language](/source/National_Council_for_Promotion_of_Urdu_Language) * [Urdu literature](/source/Urdu_literature) * [Urdu keyboard](/source/Urdu_keyboard) * [Urdu Informatics](/source/Urdu_Informatics) * [Urdu alphabet](/source/Urdu_alphabet) == References == * Afzal, M. (1997). Urdu Software Industry: Prospects, Problems and Need for Standards. ''4th National Computer Conference''. [Islamabad](/source/Islamabad). * Afzal, M. and Hussain, S. (2002). Urdu computing standards: development of Urdu Zabta Takhti. (UZT) 1.01. Proceedings of the Multi Topic IEEE Conference (INMIC 2001) - Technology for the 21st Century. {{ISBN|0-7803-7406-1}}. pp. 216–22 * Ahmed, S. (1990). Library ''Muqtadra Qaumi Zaban'': An Introduction. ''Pakistan Library Bulletin''. Vol. 21 (3-4). Sept-Dec. * Aziz, T. (1987). ''Urdu type Machine kay kaleedi Takhtay'', ''Muqtadra Qaumi Zaban'', Islamabad. (''in Urdu'') * Muqtadra (2002). ''Akhbar-e-Urdu'': Urdu Software Number. January–February. ''Muqtadra Qaumi Zaban'', Islamabad. * Rahman, T. (2004). [https://web.archive.org/web/20071019192137/http://www.elda.org/en/proj/scalla/SCALLA2004/rahman.pdf Language Policy and Localization in Pakistan: Proposal for a Paradigmatic Shift]. Retrieved on 3 June 2008. SCALLA 2004 Conference. [Kathmandu](/source/Kathmandu), [Nepal](/source/Nepal). 5–7 January. * Sajjad, A. (1999). Efforts in the Standardization of Urdu code table, ''Akhbar-e-Urdu'' (Urdu News). ''Muqtadra Qaumi Zaban''. Islamabad. June. (''In Urdu''). * Zia, K. (1999). ''[http://users.skynet.be/hugocoolens/urdu-code/standardcodetableurdu.htm Standard Code Table for Urdu] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190408004715/http://users.skynet.be/hugocoolens/urdu-code/standardcodetableurdu.htm |date=2019-04-08 }}''. 4th Symposium on Multilingual Information Processing, (MLIT-4), [Yangon](/source/Yangon), [Myanmar](/source/Myanmar). CICC, [Japan](/source/Japan). Retrieved on 28 May 2008. == External links == * {{Official website|http://www.nlpd.gov.pk}} * [Urdu Wikipedia](/source/%3Aur%3A) * [http://www.computingpk.com Urdu COMPUTING Magazine] * [https://www.scribd.com/doc/8127441/English-to-Urdu-Dictionary Download editable and offline dictionaries: Urdu, English, roman Urdu, Persian, roman Hindi] {{Ministry of Information, Broadcasting and National Heritage (Pakistan)|state=collapsed}} {{Authority control}} Category:Urdu Category:Pakistan federal departments and agencies Category:Languages of Pakistan Category:Language regulators Category:1979 establishments in Pakistan Category:Organizations established in 1979 --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [National Language Promotion Department](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Language_Promotion_Department) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Language_Promotion_Department?action=history)). 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