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Controversy over number of letters in Urdu alphabet. «How many letters are there in the Urdu alphabet? I wish I could answer this question in unambiguous terms. But the controversy over the total and correct number of letters in Urdu alphabet has been raging for over 200 years now. The reason why I am dredging it up today is that Muqtadira Qaumi Zaban or the National Language Authority (NLA), the official authority responsible for preparing Urdu for implementation as an official language, has declared that Urdu has exactly 58 letters. Many may take exception to this declaration. »