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Chief Minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani said Pashto would be made as medium of instruction in Pashto speaking areas at primary level. He announced establishing a Pashtun Culture Centre in the city. He was addressing as chief guest at the second session of the three day World Pashto Literary Convention opened at Nishtar Hall on Saturday March 26. He said that a meeting of the academicians and writers would be called very soon to discuss the issue of making Pashto as the medium of instruction in the schools at primary level. He regretted that the MMA government did not do any thing for the promotion of Pashto language and literature.

The chief Minister maintained that the literary convention would prove a milestone for the improvement of Pashto literature. Durrani asked the writers and poets to play their due role for creating awareness among the general masses about their golden Pashtun and Islamic traditions.

He later on distributed gold medals among Pashtun writers and intellectuals for their literary and cultural contributions. Naureen Shamaa, Naseema, Dr. Raj Wali Shah Khattak, Saeed Gauhar and Sardar Ali Takar received the gold medals. The Chief Minister opened the second session while Prof. Khatir Ghaznavi , Habibullah Rafi, Dr.Kabir Storay, Saeed Gauhar, Prof. Jahanzeb Niaz, Dr. Fazaldin Khattak, Feroz Afridi, Tahir Afridi, Ries Quasar and Malik Maqbool were the guests of honour. Earlier, Salim Bangash presented the welcome address in which he threw light on the aims and objectives of the convention.

He said that Pashto Adabi chaman Tal convened the World Pashto Literary Convention to invite Pashtun writers and intellectuals to discuss different literary issues and to suggest proper solution to them. Veteran nationalist leader and poet Ajmal Khattak and senior Afghan scholar Abdullah Bakhtaney opened the first session. Ajmal Khattak while addressing the gathering urged upon the Pashtuns to forge unity among their ranks and said that the youngsters had been inspired and would serve their mother tongue to the best of their abilities. He called upon the writers to spread the message of love and harmony among the people. Abdullah Bakhtaney read out the message of Kabul Academy on the occasion. Sabir Hes read out the written message of the Governor Commander Khalilur Rahman in which he had underscored the need for a substantive research work on Pashto language and literature. He while appreciating the efforts of the organizers of Pashto Adabi Chaman Tal said that the convention would go a long way in improvement of Pashto literature.

Salim Raz opined that Pashtun writers should touch upon their political issues as well bedsides literature including Kalabagh dam. He strongly criticized the MMA government for imposing ban on cultural activities in Nishtar Hall. Prof.Preshan Khattak, who also presided over the inaugural session, informed that Pashto was the fourth oldest language of the world while having quoted an American scholar. Mashal Khan President Pashto Cultural Association (PCAC) Canada in his remarks said that he had founded the association on March 10, 2002 after the 9/11 when he felt that the image of Pakhtuns was being tarnished in Europe. He added that even Pashtun women had been contributing much to the promotion of Pashtun culture. Aseer Mangal in his inaugural session told the participants that World Pashto Literary Convention was aimed at presenting a tribute to the legendary poet Mohammad Din Muqayyad who had founded Pashto Adabi Chaman Tal in 1955 and also to provide a platform to the Pashtun writers to arrive at some fruitful solution regarding Pashto language and literature.

Saadudin Shapoon eminent US based Afghan novelist and broadcaster critized the Pashto private TV channel for its poor performance. However, he observed that Pashto being the most ancient language of the world had the potential to compete with world literatures. Afghan poet and Director Information and Culture, Mohammad Hashim Khan Gham Shareek read out the message of Ningrahar’s Governor Haji Din Mohammad. He asked the Pashtun writers and poets to come forward to help in the reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Dr.Raj Wali Shah, Dr.Yar Mohammad, Tahir Afridi, Said Alam Masood, Dr.Kabir Storay and Sadiq Zarrak presented research papers on the past, future and present of Pashtuns and their place in the global village. They observed that Pashto language was a living language and could survive despite globalization but they stressed that Pashtun writers and poets should preserve it for the posterity. Delegates from Middle Eastern countries, Germany, America, England, Canada, France, Russia, Iran and Afghanistan. Only nine women writers attended the convention. An international Pashto night Mushaira was the last feature of the first day of the convention. Rokhan Yousafzai and Abasin Yousafzai conducted the first day sessions of the convention.

The speakers on the second day of the World Pashto Literary Convention demanded of the government to take concrete steps for the promotion of Pashto language and literature. The participants, organizers and delegates of the literary convention unanimously passed a few resolutions including renaming of NWFP as Pakhtunkhwa, increasing of duration of Pashto programmes on PTV, establishing radio stations in Bannu, Mardan, Swat and Dir, Free medical treatment to the affectees of Hepatitis C, taking measures against uranium being activated in the mountains of Afghanistan and the adjacent tribal mountains due to US heavy bombardment adversely affecting the newly born babies, building the writer’s club in the city, providing of Ads to Pashto newspapers and literary journals and introducing Pashto as a compulsory subject in the Frontier educational institutions. Muaiza Aziza and Mohammad Hashim Khan Gham Shareek presented the written messages of Ningrahar University’s authorities and Governor Ningrahar respectively.

The researchers presented their thought provoking papers on different aspects of Pashto language and literature. They observed that Pashto could be made as medium of instruction because it had the capability to be the language of Science and Technology.

They added that although Pashto had never been the court language and even Pashtun rulers had neglected it in their own periods. It is only the poets and writers who have preserved it by writing valuable books in it. Prominent researcher and writer Hamish Khalil while speaking as chief guest said that 20th century could be termed as the golden period for Pashto literature. He specifically mentioned Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil who conducted substantive research on scientific lines on Khushhal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba. Abdul Khaliq Khaleeq and Nasrullah Khan Nasar who had contributed immensely to Pashto literature.Mahmood Ayaz, Dr. Sher Zaman Taizi, Khalid Pakhtun, Qamar Zaman Qamar Taizi, Dr. Raj Wali Shah Khattak, Saadat Khan Sahar, Abdullah Bakhtnaney, Khair Mohammad Arif, Hanif Khalil, Noor Mohammad Liwal, Habibullah Rafi, Saaduddin Shapoon Prof.Nazar Mohammad, Afzal Shauq, Dr. Shah Jehan, Mohibullah Shauq, Zahir Shah Khattak, Ghazi Sial and Dr. Yasin Iqbal Yousafzai read out their research papers on the occasion. The researchers admitted that no substantial critical and analytical works had been done in Pashto which they maintained was essential for the improvement of literary standards of any dynamic language.

They maintained that Pashtun are Aryans racially, therefore Pashto is the oldest language of the world. The linguists proved with their solid arguments that Pashto could survive despite the rapid process of globalization and media war. The speakers stressed the need for translating world literatures into Pashto and the vice versa for enriching Pashto. They maintained that Pashtuns would hold a prominent place in the global village.

The researchers assured that Pashtun would keep its peculiar characteristics and features and Pashtun identity intact and cloud live alongside other 6800 languages of the world. Being the language of all disciplines of traditional knowledge including philosophy, religion, history, psychology, sociology and humanity, the speakers dispelled the impression that Pashto would too extinct as opined by some experts and linguists. The participants were told that more than 70, 00, 00 computers soft wares had been converted into Pashto. Also a computer Pashto dictionary had been completed in Afghanistan.

They demanded of the provincial government to make arrangements for conducting organized research on Pashto language and literature. The organizers of the convention awarded shields to Shamsul Qamar Andesh, Pir Gauhar, Sial Kakar, Prof. Rab Nawaz Mail, Gul Bacha Ulfat, Dr. Kabir Storay, Tahir Afridi, Dr. Yar Mohammad Maghmoom, Zaitoon Bano, Ikramullah Gran, Dr.Mohammad Azam Azam, Abdur Rahim Majzoob, Murad Shinwari, Prof Asif Sameem,Saadullah Khan Lala, Hanif Khalil,Salim Raz, Feroz Afridi, Ali Akbar Sial, Rahmat Shah Sail, Habibullah Rafi, Saeed Gauhar, Saifur Rahman Salim, Qamar Rahi, Dr.Sher Zaman Taizi, Syed TaqrimulHaq Kaka Khel ,Parvish Shaheen, Ghazi Sial, Abasin Yousafzai and Rokhan Yousafzai for their tremendous contributions to Pashto language and literature.

The proclamation of the convention was announced Monday night at Tal during the concluding day of the convention. Earlier a floral wreath was laid on the grave of Mohammad Din Muqayyad the founder poet of Pashto Adabi Chaman Tal. Also A grand Mushaira was arranged to pay a tribute to the legendary poet. Delegates from Qatar Doha, Canada, USA, UK, Afghanistan, Iran, Russia France, Germany and Middle Eastern report about the literary and cultural activities of their associations. They pledged that they would keep a link with one another through Internet and other

Jehanzeb Niaz makes a point during an interview as
Firoz Khan Afridi looks on.
Doha: A book released here last weekend gives an
interesting insight into how Mahatma Gandhi’s
message of non-violence during the freedom movement
in pre-partition India, found some of its ardent followers
in a region known more for bloodshed than peace.

The book is an autobiography of an elderly Pathan and the region, undoubtedly, is the North West Frontier Province (NWFP) of Pakistan.

Prof Jehanzeb Niaz is no ordinary Pashtun. He is a triple post-graduate, has taught at the University of Michigan for a while and, above all, is a nephew of the legendary Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, popularly known as Badshah Khan.

Badshah Khan's closeness to Mahatma Gandhi has earned him the epithet of Frontier Gandhi in India. Almost every major city in the country, including Bombay, has a street named after him.

Niaz's autobiography is, unfortunately, in Pashtu, a language only Pathans can understand, but Niaz says it would soon be translated into Urdu and, perhaps, into English as well.

This is the only published Pashtu work in the language's history to have been released outside the NWFP, says Firoz Khan Afridi, head of Pak Pashtu Adabi Tolna, a Doha-based literary organisation of Pakistani Pathans, which launched the book.

Born in 1927, Niaz was barely 10 when he had his first encounter with Mahatma Gandhi who had come to visit Badshah Khan and the many schools he had set up in the area.

After that Niaz met Gandhi on two more occasions and even saw Jawaharlal Nehru several times. He joined the freedom movement in 1942 at the age of 15 when he was in school and spent three years in jail.

Badshah Khan was his mother's brother and had a great personal liking for him. When he died in 1988 after having been hospitalised for a while in India as well, Niaz recalls that the first dignitaries to have arrived in his uncle's native village Othman Zai in Charsadda district, were the then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi, wife Sonia and their two children.

Ignoring protocol, Rajiv and family had landed directly at a regional airport – Peshawar.

Rare experiences

In his autobiography that one hopes would soon be translated into English, he even mentions how when he went to India in 1956, nine years after the partition, he first went to see a Hindu Pathan family who had migrated after the division in 1947.

“We lived like one family before the partition,” said Niaz, speaking in chaste Urdu interspersed with some Sanskrit words.

Niaz now holds a US passport. He was teaching Pashtu at Peshawar University and retired in 1987.

He later moved to join his two daughters who are settled in the US.

Niaz is a rare link to the common past which India and Pakistan share and with a heart that beats for the lands that now remain separated, he, perhaps, did the right thing by moving to a third country.