PESHAWAR: A large number of students throng the lone bookstore at Pashto Academy of University of Peshawar every day to buy different of books under various titles including poetry and fiction.

Due to higher studies, most students visit the only bookstore to buy books for pursuing their research studies while many others go there to satisfy their urge for pleasure reading.

The readership of Pashto books is as usual thin as book culture has declined over the last decades. Even students of graduation and master programme mostly depend on guidebooks and never read original texts. Students complain that Pashto books included in syllabus are not reprinted and they are forced to depend only on guidebooks.

Anwar Khan Lala,76, retired from Pashto Academy told this scribe that Ghani Khan’s Kuliyat -- complete works -- had been the bestselling book since long. He said that a large number of college and university students were diehard fans of Ghani Khan’s romantic and philosophic poetry and visited the bookstore to buy his complete works at Rs600 spread over 800 pages.

Owner of UoP bookstore says Pashto poet’s Kuliyat bestseller

He said that both boy and girl students of all university faculties loved to read Ghani Khan’s poetry covering varieties of subjects from romance, humour, satire, chivalry, history, mysticism, psychology and philosophy.

Alisha, a student at Khyber Medical College Peshawar, told this scribe that Ghani Khan was her favourite poet, who had touched various topics. She said that students were attracted to Ghani Khan’s poetry due to his sublime, creative and revolutionary style.

“Ghani Khan was resurrected after a decade or two because a few students sang and video-graphed his poetry and released it on social media while a few young folk singers also sang his popular numbers which gave a new dimension to Ghani Khan’s stature as a poet, humanist, thinker and painter,” said Alisha.

Mohammad Adil Khan, a student of Islamia College University, said that students didn’t read books included in master level course despite the fact that every year large number of books in Pashto brought out on self-sponsorship basis but reading habit among young people had been declining dismally.

“A master level student is supposed to study around 70 books for qualifying 10 papers but regretfully even regular students never bothered to read seven books. Most depend on so-called guidebooks offering readymade answers to pet questions,” he said.

Mr Khan said that once one of his classmates asked him whether Bayazid Anasri and Akhund Derwaiza Baba was one and the same person. He said one could judge the level of understanding of a student studying literature at master level. He regretted that most Pakhtuns couldn’t read Pashto script because Pashto books were being printed in five to six scripts. He said that only research students were compelled to buy books, literary journals and Pashto newspapers.

Anwar Khan Lala, however, was positive about reading habit among students. He said that Pashto private TV and radio channels, literary journals, newspapers and countless Pashto Webpages on Internet had given boost to Pashto language and literature.

He said that his bookstore was set up in 1996 and had recently attracted young readers. He said that if properly marketed, Pashto books could find better sale-points. He said that eight public sector universities in the province offered Pashto master level and advanced studies programmes.

Rafiullah Pameer, a student of University of Peshawar, said that seminars, book fairs, workshops and study circles could promote book culture. He said that currently social media played great role in connecting Pashto poets, writers, researchers and students across the globe.

Mr Pameer said that Ghani Khan’s poetry was not attracting Pashto students but also impressed students studying other disciplines including medicines, engineering and agriculture. “Ghani Khan had challenged status quo and believed in human freedom,” he added.

He also complained that books suggested for preparation of Pashto master level study were not being reprinted that provided a space to low standard contents circulating in the market. “New research books are not published because authors cannot afford to get them printed. Young people want poets like Ghani Khan in new light,” said Mr Pameer.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2017