PESHAWAR: Mazhar Ahmad is the first-ever primary schoolteacher in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa who has completed his PhD thesis.

The topic of his thesis is ‘Impact of 9/11 incident on Pashto literature’. He has concluded in his thesis that Pakhtun poets and writers advocate peace and condemning militancy on their soil.

Mr Ahmad, a resident of district Swabi, while speaking at public defence of his doctorate thesis here recently, said that the tragic incident of 9/11 adversely impacted almost every aspect of Pakhtuns. He said that the incident brought about a remarkable change in Pakhtun outlook on global issues.

Pakhtuns poets, he said, didn’t see war on their soil as conspiracy against their religion but against their cultural roots.

He said that in a number of cases, teachers carried out MPhil and doctorate theses just to get advance increments and higher grades and not to address a genuine issue.

Says he is not going to get any incentive for the advance study

“In my case, I am not going to get any incentive for this advance study. I wanted to do doctorate on this important topic because 9/11 has serious repercussions on our social, political and cultural life,” he said.

Mr Ahmad said that higher studies should investigate facts and figures with in-depth analysis so that a genuine issue could be addressed in a scientific manner.

Presenting, the brief of his thesis, he said that he had concluded from his deep research on Pashto literature since first-ever Pashto poet Amir Korer, who lived in 8th century, that Pakhtuns were exposed to tribal wars, foreign invasions and big power players.

He said that Pakhtuns suffered the most after 9/11 as the incident cast far reaching effects on all aspects of their life. “I have drawn the conclusion from my study that Pakhtun poets, writers and intellectuals across the Durand Line have been advocating peace and permanent end to militancy on their soil in their writings.

They see the ongoing war as a bloody drama being staged on their land by big power players to serve their vested interests,” he said.

The young scholar said that the most important chapter was concerning influence of 9/11 on Pashto poetry especially ‘nazm’.

“Special attention has been given to the scientific analysis of poetic pieces of poets and writers belonging to the most affected areas

Swat, Peshawar, Malakand, Fata, Balochistan and Afghanistan,” he added.

Mr Ahmad became the first primary schoolteacher to have submitted his doctorate thesis to Pashto department, University of Peshawar. He is teaching at Government Primary School Neknaam, Swabi. The doctorate thesis took him four years to complete. Comprising six chapters, his research study covers different literary genres of Pashto literature both pre and post 9/11.

Dr Rajwali Shah Khattak, former director of Pashto Academy, said that 9/11 incident was significant in the history of Pakhtuns as it inflicted heavy losses on them.

Dr Abdullah Jan Abid said in his remarks that the doctorate thesis in Pashto on such important topic paved the way for upcoming researchers to conduct studies on new literary trends and issues.

Dr Abdul Waheed Khan said on the occasion that thesis of Mr Ahmad should be translated into English and Urdu so that the world could know about the true face of Pakhtun nation.

Published in Dawn, March 6th, 2015

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