PESHAWAR, April 16: Speakers at a seminar have urged concerted efforts for the development of the Pushto language and Pakhtoon culture in the province.
The seminar organized by the Pushto Adabi Board (PAB) to mark the International Mother Language Day here on Wednesday, drew a large number of intellectuals, poets and literary figures from NWFP and Balochistan.
NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah, who was chief guest on the occasion, said that the world was fast heading towards globalization due to which a competition among different languages around the globe had emerged, which he said had set the ball rolling for local languages and dialects to go ahead.
Due to the fast-paced globalization, he said, there is a need for taking pragmatic and sustainable measures for the advancement and development of the regional languages. He asked the stake-holders to prepare themselves in order to face the challenges in the new global scenario in a befitting manners.
“Not only that Pushto is the only one of the ancient languages amongst the world languages but it had also a rich cultural heritage which needs to be maintained,” he said. According to Mr Shah Pushto culture was an integral part of the Pakistani culture.
He deplored that it was a matter of immense concern that during the past 50 years the Pushto didn’t make any progress, owing to the fact that there was hardly any effort to promote the mother tongue.
“The Pushto was politicized by certain quarters, who also entered the corridors of powers by the virtue of its politics on Pushto and its name, but utterly failed to do something practically to promote this language,” said he, adding that the politicians sought votes of the people in the name of Pushto, but went for personal benefits when they got power.
The governor remarked that the custodians of Pushto remained restricted only to offering lip services and they did practically nothing for the promotion of their mother tongue.
He said that poets, literary circles and journalists were struggling to promote Pushto but these efforts were not enough because a language could not make progress only by writing books, dictionaries and launching magazines in any given language.
“A language can be promoted by its speakers and in this connection media can play an effective role but as far as Pushto is concerned, this aspect is also being continuously ignored,” he said.
He said on the satellite channels Pushto language has no share and there was only one standard newspaper of Pushto. “I hope the PAB and the Pashto Academy will recognize their responsibilities and will take steps for the promotion of Pushto language, literature and Pakhtun culture. He assured the PAB of all possible support for the promotion of this language.
Earlier Professor Parishan Khattak, Dawar Khan Dawood, Abdul Karim Baryaley, Director Pashto Academy Quetta, Abaseen Yousafzai, Mohammad Azam Khan, Chairman Pashto Adabi Board, Prof Khwaja Mohammad Sail and other speakers spoke on the occasion.