PESHAWAR, March 28: The Pashto Adabi Society of Edwardes College arranged annual Pashto here on Wednesday.

About 60 poets from Malakand, Swat, Dir, Mardan, Charsadda, Nowshera, D.I. Khan, Bannu, Kohat and Mohmand and Khyber tribal agencies participated in the function. Principal of the college, Dr Titus Preslar, said in his opening remarks that Pashto occupied a unique place among languages, adding that they had always encouraged literary and cultural diversity of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He praised Pashto poetry for advocating the message of peace, mutual respect and social values.

“The college has also kept alive the tradition of literary and cultural activities. Poetry and culture play a pivotal role in shaping the social and political ideals of the people,” he observed. He said that such positive activities gave courage to the young students and inculcated leadership qualities and sense of confidence among them.

The principal surprised the participants by speaking a few sentences in fluent Pashto. “I know Pashto language and understand its syntax. I also love Pashto phraseology, idioms and especially local poetry; the place of Pashto is unique among the country's local languages,” he maintained. mushaira,

Poet Ikramullah Gran presided over the while satirist and columnist Saadullah Jan Barq, folk poets Ghazi Sial, Dad Mohammad Dilsoz and Iqbal Shakir graced the presidium.

The poets in their recitals touched upon romanticism, spring season, militancy and its adverse effects on Pashtun society. Khurshid Alam, a young disabled poet from Dir, requested the college administration to make disabled-friendly arrangements at such functions, as he stumbled while walking up to the rostrum. — Bureau Report