Peshawar: Akbar Hoti, a language and literature specialist at Khyber Pakhutnkhwa Culture Directorate, has become the first researcher to receive an MPhil degree by conducting research on water resources from literary and cultural perspectives.

Akbar Hoti, who is also a poet, was awarded MPhil degree after successful defence of his thesis on “Pakhtunkhwa’s Water Resources” by Pakhtunkhwa Study Centre, Bacha Khan University Charsadda on Wednesday.

In classical Pashto literature and folklore there are many references to water resources, its importance and beauty of the land due to it. It is mentioned in folk songs as a spot of romance.

The great Pashto poets like Rehman Baba, Khushal Baba, Hameed Baba and modern poets have referred to water resources like Abasin as entire social and culture revolves around the water resources.

“There is an entire poem written by Pashto Sufi poet Rehman Baba on importance of water resources.

“The poets have often compared eyes of beloved to Abasin and feelings of anguish have been compared to waves of Absin”, said Mr Hoti.

Water is life and Pakhtun belt, which has about 80 per cent of water resources of the country, was a topic one could not miss.

The classical, romantic and modern Pashto poets have explained the beauty of rivers and seas.

Mr Hoti said that he also looked upon the topic from economic, geographical and even political perspectives and found out that the Pakhtun belt was enriched with water resources but unfortunately it did not benefit from them.

He presented his research work for defence in the supervision of Dr Kiran Seeneen and Dr Abasin Yousafzai.

Mr Hoti said that he hoped the research would open new paths for the coming researcher and further work on the subject would be initiated.

He said that in classical and modern Pashto literature one could find many references and poetic versus about water resources.

Published in Dawn, March 15th, 2018