QUETTA, Oct 28: A renowned scholar and eminent historian Dr N.A. Baloch has suggested that Arabic script could be used as a medium for Balochi language.

He was speaking at a national orthographic seminar organized by the Balochi Academy on Sunday. The seminar was aimed at developing a consensus on Balochi script.

Dr Nabi Bakhsh Baloch, a renowned scholar and linguist was the chief guest at the opening session. Prominent writers of Balochi language including Mohammad Beg Baigul, Mir Hakeem Baloch, Mir Amanullah Gichki, Prof Dr Muneer Baloch and others attended the seminar.

In his key-note address, Dr Nabi Bakhsh Baloch dwelt at length about the Arabic and Roman script as a medium for Balochi language.

He said keeping in view the other regional languages it would be appropriate if Arabic script was adopted as a medium. He said this notion was not based on facts that Balochi language had acquired most of the letters from Arabic. Instead, he added, only a few letters had been borrowed from Arabic.

Dr. Baloch also eulogised the efforts of Balochi Academy in promotion of Balochi language, art and culture.

Speaking on the occasion, prominent Baloch writer and scholar Abdul Hakeem Baloch said after a break of 30 years an attempt had been made to develop a consensus on standardisation of Balochi orthography.

A former federal minister Mir Amanullah Gichki in his speech said there was no controversy over the adoption of Arabic script as a medium for Balochi language.

Mohammad Beg Baigul, a prominent Balochi humour writer and linguist, in his speech said the Balochi Academy should constitute a permanent committee consisting of experts to deal with the matter of medium.

A guest from Japan, Murayama Kazuyuki, who teaches at Wako University, Tokyo, in his address said that in Japan two private universities offered courses in Persian and Urdu, and one of the professors at Wako University was doing research on Balochi language.