PESHAWAR: Speakers at a seminar held in the Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar, on Wednesday vowed to strengthen Pak-Afghan cultural and academic relations at the university level. They said that people of both the countries already enjoyed linguistic, religious, historical and cultural ties and stressed the need for cementing literary and academic relations at the university level.

The participants were of the view that issues could be solved through negotiations, saying that peace and stability were inevitable for the entire region.

Prof Nasrullah Jan Wazir, director of the Pashto Academy, said that it was agreed during the event that a formal memorandum of understanding (MoU) regarding exchange programme between the UoP and Academy of Sciences, Kabul, would be signed after sharing and setting the desired objectives. He said that the objective of the seminar was to pave the way for coordinated efforts to encourage cultural and literary activities.

Outgoing ambassador Zakhilwal says Pakhtuns can’t be separated

Outgoing Afghan ambassador to Pakistan, Dr Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, awarded gold medals on behalf of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to about 13 noted Pashto writers and journalists for their contributions in respective fields. Senior writers and journalists, including Hamish Khalil, Noorul Bashar Naveed, Pir Sufaid Shah Humdard, Shamim Shahid, Khair Mohammad Arif, Prof Salma Shaheen, Darwaish Durrani, Haseena Gul Tanha, Prof Abaseen Yousafzai and Haroon Bacha received the awards.

The joint seminar was organised under the auspices of UoP and Nangarhar University, Afghanistan, at the Pashto Academy. Ambassador Dr Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal, Lal Bacha Azmoon, adviser to the Afghan president, Nangarhar University vice -chancellor Babrak Miankhel, Afrasiab Khattak, dean Faculty of Islamic and Oriental Studies Prof Mirajul Islam Zia, Tahir Afridi, Prof Salma Shaheen, and UoP pro vice-chancellor Prof Mohammad Abid Khan were prominent among the participants.

Dr Zakhilwal stressed the need for collaboration and comprehensive efforts for brining closer the people of Pakistan and Afghanistan through cultural and academic activities. He said that Pakhtuns living on both sides had numerous things in common and they couldn’t be separated by evil designs. He said that literati and academia could play a significant role in strengthening relations among people of both the brotherly countries.

Babrak Miankhel, vice-chancellor of Nangarhar University, said that most Afghan faculty members had received doctorate theses from the Pashto Academy and Department of Pashto, UoP. He said that efforts would be made to jointly hold cultural and literary seminars to engage the writers and scholars for promotion of the cause of permanent peace in the region.

Lal Bacha Azmoon, adviser to the Afghan president, said on the occasion that the Pashto academies in Afghanistan and Pakistan would be supported to encourage mutual cooperation for research and academic purposes. He said that an exchange programme of intellectuals, research scholars and writers would be launched to boost cultural and literary relations.

Prof Salma Shaheen, former director of Pashto Academy, said that honouring senior Pashto writers and journalists by the Afghan president was a gesture of recognition of their contributions to the Pakhtun cause. She said that Pakhtuns living in Pakistan and Afghanistan would always try to ensure peace on their soil.

“Pakhtuns cannot afford war any longer on their soil. The world should know that we want peace and prosperity for our people devastated by a purposeless war for decades,” Ms Shaheen said. Afrasiab Khattak, Prof Mirajul Islam, Prof Mohammad Abid, Prof Fazal Rahim Marwat and Akbar Hoti also addressed the event.

Published in Dawn, November 15th, 2018