MULTAN: Seraiki linguist, researcher, critic, educationist and author of over 60 books Professor Shaukat Mughal passed away here on Wednesday. He was 73.

Prof Mughal was the chairman of the Seraikistan Qaumi Council and president Seraiki Adbi Board. Of his published books, 50 are on Seraiki language and linguistics. He was currently working on a seven-volume comprehensive Seraiki dictionary.

Born on June 4, 1947, in the Pak Gate locality of Multan, Prof Mughal started his professional life a schoolteacher in 1971 and joined the Civil Lines College Multan as a lecturer in 1973.

He joined the Government College for Education Multan as an assistant professor in 1990 and retired from there as associate professor in 2008. After retirement, he devoted his life exclusively to research and political activities, particularly for the rights of the Seraiki speaking people.

Titles of some of his books are: Multan Ka Sir Syed, Seraiki Qaidah, Urdu Mein Seraiki Zabaan Kay Unmit Naqoosh, Seraiki Akhaanran, Multan Dian Varaan, Seraiki Mahaavaray, Urdu Seraiki Mutrafidat, Seraiki Imlaa De Maslay, Seraiki Nama and Kadeem Seraiki Urdu Lughat.

Linguist and former head of the Department of Linguistics of the Quaid-i-Azam University Dr Ahsan Wagha says there are many personalities among the Seraiki intelligentsia who authored many books but the contribution of Prof Mughal is special.

“His books form the store of linguistic data. He recorded thousands of words and saved them from vanishing. He left us the lexicon sufficient for compilation of a systematic dictionary,” he adds.

Terming the death of Prof Mughal a huge loss for Seraiki region and the movement, Seraiki Qaumi Movement President Zahoor Dhareja lauded Dr Mughal’s contribution to the language, which even the institutions do not do.

“His services for the Seraiki language and region will be remembered for long,” he says.

Writer and journalist Mazhar Arif has termed the death of Prof Mughal a great loss for the Seraiki language, literature, culture and the Seraiki movement launched to protect sociopolitical and economic rights of the Seraiki people.

“As a researcher, he contributed a lot for literary, cultural and linguistic history of the Seraiki region. He influenced young generation as a learned teacher and acknowledged scholar,” he said.

Shaukat Mughal left behind him a widow, two sons and three daughters.

Published in Dawn, June 4th, 2020