PESHAWAR: The Gandhara Hindko Academy has launched the android app of the Hindko language proverbs.
Information Technology Consultant to the academy and an assistant professor at the Department of Computer Science, Iqra National University, Muhammad Adil, has developed the app.
A team of three members comprising Umar Rauf, a lecturer, and two students of the same university, Saifullah and Aqsa Gul, assisted Muhammad Adil in his work.
The Gandhara Hindko Board arranged a ceremony at the Sain Ahmad Ali Auditorium of the Gandhara Hindko Academy to launch the app.
A renowned writer, author and research scholar, Ahmad Saleem, who had travelled from Islamabad, was the chief guest on the occasion while, another literatus, Iqbal Sikandar, was the guest of honour.
Board Vice-Chairman Dr Salahuddin, Radio Pakistan Peshawar Deputy Controller Syeda Effat Jabbar, social figure Syed Tahir Abbas, members of the board and people from various walks of life attended the event.
Ahmad Saleem said Pakistan was home to several languages. He likened every language to a flower that had own fragrance. “All the Pakistani languages are important and commandrespect,” he added.
The distinguished writer praised the board for working for the preservation and promotion of Hindko and other native languages in a relatively short span of time.
A known writer, poet, researcher and general secretary of the board, Muhammad Ziauddin, said his literary and cultural organisation had been working for the promotion of Hindko and other Pakistani languages for 25 years.
He said the board had published over 300 books in various languages so far. “But it is fact that book reading habit is on the decline in this digital era. The Hindko proverbs android app has been developed realising the very fact,” he elaborated.
The general secretary of the board applauded Assistant Professor Muhammad Adil and his team for completing a difficult task in the minimum time.
Muhammad Adil, a physically challenged but talented man, who has done his MS in Telecommunication and Networking and is pursuing doctorate, said he developed the app to express his love for his mother language.
He said “Hindko Matlaan” android app is a collection of around 2,200 Hindko proverbs already published by the academy in a book form.
Muhammad Adil said the 852-page publication was researched and compiled by Muhammad Ziauddin. A team of four writers -Aftab Iqbal Bano, SaqibHussain, Ali AwaisKhayal and Sikandar Hayat Sikandar - assisted him.
He said the Hindko proverbs android app could be installed in a smartphone easily. There are two ways to search a proverb. Either by the title arranged in an alphabetical order or by typing the title in the search bar.
Muhammad Adil hoped the work he and his team had done would receive a good response, adding he planned to prepare the Hindko language dictionary app in future.
The chief guest awarded shields and commendation certificates to Muhammad Adil, Umar Rauf, Saifullah and Aqsa Gul.
The last part of the function had a Hindko folk music programme where Zeeshan Ghaznavi and other singers entertained the gathering.
It may be mentioned here that Hindko is among the nine officially recognised languages of Pakistan, others being Urdu, Punjabi, Sindhi, Pashto, Balochi, Seraiki, Kashmiri and Brahvi.
The Gandhara Hindko Board has been preserving and promoting Hindko language since its launch in 1993 while the Gandhara Hindko Academy became functional in 2015.
