Sir: Thousands of languages have come and gone. Linguists have estimated that at one time, more than 20,000 languages existed but today the number of languages stands at 6,909. It is expected that by the end of this century half of these languages will be lost as well. Pakistan is said to be home to around 72 languages but most of them face an uncertain future. Out of these 72 languages, half are in danger of extinction while some other tongues are already in their death throes. Who is responsible for this? I believe our government is responsible. It is the basic right of children to be taught their mother tongue but in Pakistan, most children are deprived of this basic right. In Balochistan, Balochi is not even a subject in any government school. If this is the condition, how can a language progress? I am a native class seven speaker of Balochi but, despite this, I do not know how to write Balochi because we were never taught our mother tongue. I humbly request our government and other international organisations to do their utmost for the protection of these languages. BAHRAM SAYAD Turbat