BATKHELA: Noted Pashto writer Prof Mohammad Nawaz Tair breathed his last at the age of 83 after protracted illness.
He left behind two sons and five daughters. He was author of over 100 books. He was laid to rest at his ancestral graveyard. A large number of poets, writers, research scholars attended his funeral prayers.
Prof Abaseen Yousafzai, Dr Ali Khel Daryab, Dr Sher Zaman Seemab, Bakht Rawan Umarkhel, Dr Abdulhaq Nasim, Dr Norulbasar Aman, Dr Samanadar Yousafzai, MNA Juned Akbar, MPA Shakeel Khan and elders of the area were present on the occasion.
Born in historic Thana village of Malakand in 1934, Prof Mohammad Nawaz Tair got master degrees in Pashto and Persian literatures from University of Peshawar. He also received master degree in geography from University of Punjab.
Scholars and writers from Afghanistan, Quetta, Fata and parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa condoled the death of Prof Nawaz Tair and termed it an irreparable loss for Pashto language and literature.
Prof Nawaz Tair was considered an authority on history, classical literature and Pashto folklore. He joined Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar in 1957 as a junior research officer. He remained director of Pashto Academy from 1989 to 1995.
He was an accomplished Pashto poet, critic, historian, translator, research scholar and folklorist. He penned down over100 books including ‘Zhwand Au Tapa’, ‘Rohi Mataloona’, Pashto translation of the Holy Quran and a comparative study of Saddar Khattak’s ‘Adam Khan Durkhani’ and Shakespeare’s play ‘Romeo and Juliet’.
Prof Nasarullah Wazir, sitting director of Pashto Academy, told this scribe that Farzana Ghani, a scholar, recently submitted her doctorate thesis on the literary contribution of Prof Nawaz Tair while a scholar wrote his doctorate thesis on his book ‘Pashto Proverbs’.
Published in Dawn, May 5th, 2017
