Although British rule in South Asia lasted for almost two hundred years, the areas that are now Pakistan were some of the last places to be taken over by the British. Punjab (which included the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province) was captured in 1849, Sindh a few years before; while Balochistan was never fully taken over by the British. This meant that English had less time to become part of local culture. However, in 1947, when Pakistan became independent, English (along with Urdu) became Pakistan's official language - this was written into law in 1973.