Literary body seeks publication of late Pashto poet’s works

PESHAWAR: The Markazi Pakhto Adabi Jirga Naukhar, a literary organisation, has asked the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Directorate of Culture to publish important research work of noted Pashto writer, Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil.
The jirga in collaboration with a volunteer educational institute ‘Sabawoon Education Academy’ celebrated 100th birthday of the famous research scholar, intellectual and Pashto poet, Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil Momand.
The function was held at Pashtun Garhi Chowk near here on Sunday. Senior Pashto writer and Urdu columnist Saadullah Jan Barq was the chief guest. In his address the chief guest deplored that Pashtun youth were drifting away from book and pen and had forgotten their literary giants. He said Kamil Momand had written several books in Pashto, Urdu, Persian and English.
Saadullah Jan said that Kamil, who was a lawyer by profession, graduated from the Ali Garhi Muslim University in 1939. He added he was a staunch proponent of democratic norms and refused to accept Pride of Performance from Gen Ziaul Haq in 1980s. “The youth should draw inspiration from the work of writers like Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil who had pioneered scientific research methodology and literary appreciation in Pashto language. He was the first Pashto scholar who rediscovered Khushal Khan Khattak and Rahman Baba in their true colours to the world,” he stated.
Through a resolution the participants sought publication of important literary and research work of the late Pashto literati on at government expenses.
Mian Latif Shah Shahid, general secretary of MAPAJN, presented a resolution that asked the KP Culture Directorate to bring out all published and unpublished work of Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil.
Amir Gamaryani, director of Sabawoon Academy and Pashto poet launched a cash award of Rs10,000, a souvenir and commendation certificate on producing best research work in Pashto.
He said the cash award would be given on behalf of his volunteered academy to researchers every year for their efforts to encourage respect for the written word. Farhad Mohammad Ghalib Tareen, chief of the literary jirga, said that Kamil Momand was a multifaceted personality as he had devoted his entire life to Pashto literature.
He said most of Kamil’s books published in his lifetime were not available on the market. He said as a lawyer the late writer never entertained criminal cases and always charged affordable fee from his clients.
Professor Zubair Hasrat shared the profile of Dost Mohammad Khan Kamil. “Born on September 16, 1915 in Mohalla Qazikhelan in Peshawar, he received his early education from a local school. His father, Faujun Khan, was a civil judge who used to be transferred from one location to another in connection with his employment,” he added.
He did his matriculation from Government High School Mardan in 1932 and later did his intermediate and graduation from the Islamia College, Peshawar and Edwardes College, Peshawar in 1934 and 1936 respectively.
Declining an offer from Governor Griffith to join the provincial service in British India, he got admission to Aligarh Muslim University from where he completed his masters in philosophy in 1938 and his LLB in 1939. “On his return to Peshawar the same year, Dost Muhammad served as pleader in the court of the district judge in Peshawar. He proved his mettle both in civil and criminal cases but he preferred civil cases and would charge a nominal fee,” Hasrat said.
He said from an early age Kamil had developed a taste for reading, writing, research and horticulture and he was only in grade 8 when his maiden poem, written in Persian, was published on the title page of the daily Zamindar. He had learnt the translation of the Holy Quran from Maulana Ghulam Muhammad Ghaus Hazarvi.
Saidul Ahsan Kheshgi, in his remarks pointed out Kamil Momand along with Amir Hamza Khan Shinwari and Kakaji Sanubar Hussain, founded the famous literary organisation Ualsi Adabi Jirga (UAJ) in 1950 for the promotion of Pashto language and literature.
This literary forum, he said, had produced great writers such as Ajmal Khattak, Qalandar Momand, Saifur Rahman Salim, Hamish Khalil, Mir Mehdi Shah Mehdi, Qamar Rahi, Abdul Rahim Majzoob and Latif Wahmi. He said the UAJ also introduced new literary genres in Pashto. Kamil Momand died on in February, 1981.