PESHAWAR, April 27: A group of Pukhtun writers has launched a website to preserve and promote the Pushto language which is spoken by a large number of people the NWFP, parts of Balochistan and Afghanistan.

“Pakhtanu”, a Yahoo-based group of Pushto poets and writers includes members such as Najib Manalai, Dr Yaseen Yousufzay and Houston-based financial consultant Riaz Hakeem are among its active members, provides information about the Pushto language and works.

An English translations of Pushto works are also available on the Internet.

“The ‘Pakhtanu’ group gets regular input from its non-Pukhtun members as well. These include Shishir Shah, an Indian-American whose articles appear in the New York Times, Dr Ashok Joshi, a well-known Indian software consultant, and Hussein Afghani, an 80-years-old Afghan-American who has recently been nominated for Congressional Medal of Honour,” Najib Manalai, a member of the group said.

“The crowning glory of the group is ‘Eli’, a Jewish woman who has also joined the group recently,” he added.

In addition to the promotion of the sale of Pushto dictionaries, the group is also engaged in the translation of Pushto poetry into English.