An Inherited Hierarchy That Shapes Everyday Life

In Pakistan, English isn’t just a language people learn — it carries social weight, prestige, and a kind of cultural authority that puts it above local languages in many situations. Fluency in English can open doors, influence first impressions, and even shape how educated, capable, or “sophisticated” someone is perceived to be. This isn’t a small or imagined phenomenon — it’s a real, widely-discussed feature of Pakistani society that affects everything from job interviews to social settings to marriage prospects. But it’s worth being clear that this perception of English as “superior” isn’t because English is objectively a better language than Urdu or Punjabi or Sindhi — it’s because of specific historical and social reasons that have built English’s status over time.

Understanding why English carries this weight matters because it affects so many aspects of life in Pakistan, from which schools families choose to which careers feel accessible, to how people are judged in everyday interactions. The story behind English’s special status involves colonial history, class dynamics, the global economy, and the gradual evolution of social attitudes — all of which combine to maintain English’s privileged position even today, nearly eight decades after independence.

The Colonial Legacy

The most important historical reason English holds such status in Pakistan is the British colonial era. Before independence in 1947, the regions that now make up Pakistan were part of British India, and the colonial administration established English as the language of government, law, higher education, and elite communication. Knowing English was essential to working with the colonial administration, entering its civil services, accessing higher education, and joining the small elite that interfaced with the British rulers. This created a deep association between English and power, status, and modernity that began long before Pakistan even existed as a country.

When Pakistan gained independence, it inherited this language hierarchy — including English’s dominance in government, courts, higher education, and elite professional spaces. Despite Urdu being declared the national language, English continued to function as a co-official language and remained the actual language of much official, legal, and elite professional business. So the privileged position of English in Pakistan isn’t a recent development — it’s a colonial legacy that has been maintained and reinforced through the country’s institutions for generations, leaving deep imprints on how the language is perceived.

The Class Connection

Today, English fluency in Pakistan is closely tied to social class — strongly enough that it functions almost as a marker of socioeconomic background. Children from wealthier families typically attend English-medium private schools from an early age, often elite institutions where English is the everyday language of instruction, conversation, and assessment. They grow up comfortable speaking English fluently, often more comfortably than they speak Urdu in academic contexts. Meanwhile, children from poorer families, especially those attending government schools, primarily study in Urdu medium with English taught as a separate subject — often by teachers whose own English may be limited.

This creates a clear divide: English fluency becomes shorthand for “came from a privileged background, attended a good school, has access to opportunities,” while less-fluent English can suggest the opposite, even if a person is academically brilliant. This class association is one of the reasons English carries the social weight it does — speaking it well isn’t just about communication, it can signal one’s place in the social hierarchy, fairly or unfairly. Families across the income spectrum recognize this and try to give their children English-language exposure as a path to upward mobility.

Career and Economic Reasons

Beyond the historical and social dimensions, there are very real practical reasons English has value in Pakistan. Many of the country’s best-paying jobs — particularly in multinational companies, the IT and tech sector, banking, corporate roles, journalism, and businesses dealing with international clients — require strong English skills. Universities, especially at the higher education level, conduct most coursework in English, with textbooks, lectures, and exams in English. Globally, English is the dominant language of business, technology, science, and the internet, meaning English proficiency opens doors not just within Pakistan but to international opportunities including study and work abroad.

For Pakistanis hoping to migrate, pursue international careers, work in the global digital economy through freelancing, or even simply access most of the world’s online information and educational resources, English isn’t just a luxury — it’s a genuinely useful skill with concrete economic benefits. This practical value reinforces the perception of English as “superior” because it offers tangible advantages, especially in a country where economic opportunities can be limited and where English-using sectors offer some of the better-paying career paths available to educated young Pakistanis.

Media, Entertainment, and Global Culture

English’s prestige in Pakistan is also reinforced by global media and entertainment culture. Hollywood films, English-language Netflix shows, international music, global news media, popular books, and the dominant content of the internet are largely in English. Consuming this content fluently is associated with being culturally aware, connected to global trends, and educated — adding another dimension to the perception that English equals sophistication. The aspirational appeal of global lifestyles often portrayed in English-language media subtly feeds into the prestige attached to using English oneself, particularly among urban youth.

Social media has accelerated this dynamic, with English being the default language for international platforms, professional networking (like LinkedIn), and content creators trying to reach global audiences. For young Pakistanis growing up online, fluency in English isn’t just about formal education — it’s about participating in global digital culture, which further amplifies English’s perceived importance and prestige in everyday life.

The Downside: Undervaluing Local Languages

The flip side of English’s privileged status is the undervaluing of Pakistan’s own rich linguistic heritage. Pakistan has remarkable language diversity — Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, Saraiki, and many others — each with deep literary traditions, poetic heritage, and cultural significance. Punjabi, despite being the most widely spoken language in Pakistan, is often dismissed in formal and educated settings, sometimes even by its own speakers, in favor of Urdu or English. Many young urban Pakistanis grow up speaking English fluently but feel less confident in their own mother tongues, particularly in writing or formal use.

This dynamic has been increasingly criticized by writers, educators, and cultural commentators, who argue that overvaluing English at the expense of local languages weakens connection to cultural heritage, narrows literary and intellectual diversity, and entrenches social inequality (since English remains less accessible to many). The challenge isn’t to reject English — its practical value is real — but to value Pakistan’s own languages alongside it rather than treating them as inferior, a balance that’s slowly being discussed more openly in Pakistani public conversations about language and identity.

The Bottom Line

So, why is English considered “superior” in Pakistan? It’s the result of several factors working together: a deep colonial legacy that established English as the language of power, government, and elite institutions; a strong association with social class, where English fluency signals a privileged educational background; very real economic and career advantages, especially in corporate, IT, international, and global online opportunities; and the prestige reinforced by global media, entertainment, and internet culture. English’s “superiority” isn’t because the language itself is inherently better than Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, or any other Pakistani language — it’s because of the historical and social structures that have given it that status. The unfortunate downside is that this privilege often comes at the expense of Pakistan’s rich local languages, which can be undervalued despite their cultural and literary importance. The healthier path forward, increasingly recognized by educators and commentators, isn’t to reject English — its practical benefits are real — but to value Pakistan’s own languages alongside it, ensuring that linguistic privilege doesn’t perpetuate social inequality or erode cultural heritage. English’s prestige in Pakistan, in short, says more about history and society than it does about the language itself.

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