The song gained widespread popularity on Instagram after Pakistani singers Shanzy sial and Mohsin Lashari posted their version on the platform. The cover has received more than 80 million views on their account alone, while other singers have also begun performing the song.

Although the song may be unfamiliar to some audiences in Indian Punjab, it is not new. It has previously been performed by several artists, including Shafaullah Khan Rokhri, who was born in Mianwali, Punjab, Pakistan.

As the song reaches a wider audience, discussions in the comments sections of social media reels have turned towards its linguistic identity, reflecting broader disagreements about the relationship between Punjabi and Saraiki.

Is Saraiki a Language or a Dialect of Punjabi?

Many people consider Saraiki a dialect of Punjabi, while those advocating for Saraiki recognition regard it as a distinct language with its own linguistic and cultural identity.

The debate is closely linked to questions of regional identity and political representation in Pakistan. The movement to promote Saraiki has also been associated with demands for a separate province, variously described by supporters as Saraikistan or South Punjab.

Proposals for the province differ, but commonly include the divisions of Multan, Dera Ghazi Khan and Bahawalpur, with some activists advocating the inclusion of additional districts.

Pakistan's 1981 census recorded Saraiki separately from Punjabi as a mother tongue. In the 2023 census, around 28.8 million people identified Saraiki as their mother tongue, accounting for approximately 12 per cent of the country's population.

Why Saraiki Speakers Consider It a Distinct Language

Ameer Ali Salman, who works to promote the Saraiki language in Pakistan, points to folk songs such as ‘Dilri Lutenda Yaar Sajan’ and the poetry of Khwaja Ghulam Farid as important examples of Saraiki's literary and musical heritage.

He argues that Saraiki has developed through the interaction of regional speech forms, including Multani and Jatki, and has distinctive vocabulary and pronunciation.

Salman says artists who identify themselves as Saraiki singers are often perceived by audiences as Punjabi performers.

“Our aim is harmony and unity among all languages, not making language a basis for division,” he says.

He also argues that the vocabulary used in ‘Chhalray Chhalray Waal’ supports the view that the song belongs to the Saraiki tradition.

Another example he cites is ‘Maahi Diyan Jhokan’, released by Coke Studio Pakistan. Salman says the song is Saraiki and notes that its YouTube description also identifies it as such.

What Linguists Say About Punjabi and Saraiki

Linguist Joga Singh offers a different perspective, saying that many linguists classify Saraiki as a sub-variety of Punjabi.

He explains that one approach to distinguishing languages from dialects considers how easily speakers of different varieties can understand one another through conversation.

However, the relationship between linguistic classification and social identity is more complicated than mutual intelligibility alone.

Singh links disagreements over language identity to unequal development across regions. He argues that the Saraiki-speaking areas of Pakistan have experienced slower development than Lahore and other parts of the country.

He also points to differences between Punjabi varieties spoken in eastern Punjab, including Amritsar and Banur, noting that speech patterns change further as one moves towards Multan.

Despite Punjabi being widely spoken in Pakistan's Punjab province, education continues to rely heavily on Urdu, Singh says. He attributes this partly to limited understanding of linguistic issues and partly to political factors.

How the Saraiki Identity Movement Developed

Dr Asma Faiz, a political science professor at the Lahore University of Management Sciences (LUMS), says the Saraikistan movement began primarily as a cultural demand before developing into a political struggle.

She traces the emergence of several identity-based political groups to the late 1980s.

According to Faiz, growing awareness of Saraiki identity among younger generations reflects greater confidence in their cultural heritage. Social media platforms, including TikTok, have also helped increase the amount of Saraiki-language content available online.

She says the movement has established a significant cultural presence but remains comparatively weak politically, partly because it lacks a strong political party capable of representing the identity-based movement.

Faiz adds that the disagreement between Punjabi and Saraiki advocates has existed for decades, with both sides making claims about the historical roots of their respective languages.

She notes that Saraiki intellectual and literary publications expanded during the 1960s. The separate recognition of Saraiki in the census subsequently became a point of disagreement among some Punjabi intellectuals.

Faiz also highlights the historical role of Urdu in education and public life in Punjab, dating back to the British colonial period. Although Punjabi is widely spoken, she says, its presence in formal education and published academic literature remains comparatively limited.

She argues that this imbalance has contributed to differing, and sometimes opposing, reactions among Punjabi intellectuals towards the Saraiki language movement.

A Song, a Language and a Question of Identity

The popularity of ‘Chhalray Chhalray Waal’ illustrates how music can bring regional languages and cultural traditions to audiences far beyond their original communities.

For Saraiki advocates, the song's renewed popularity offers an opportunity to highlight a distinct linguistic and literary heritage. For those who view Saraiki as part of the broader Punjabi language continuum, it reflects the diversity of speech and musical traditions across the region.

The debate ultimately extends beyond the classification of a single song. It raises broader questions about language, cultural recognition, education and political identity in Pakistan, where linguistic traditions often overlap with regional histories and competing understandings of belonging.