Consensus on standardised Pashto script urged

PESHAWAR: Prof Nasrullah Jan Wazir, Director of the Pashto Academy, University of Peshawar (UoP), has said that he had sent a proposal to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government two months ago to set up a language laboratory and was hopeful to get a positive response.

Senior Pashto writers and language experts agreed here on Saturday on forming a board for the improvement and standardisation of Pashto script and also to spread the culture of dialogue and promote the narrative of peace in the region.

Speakers deplored that most of the so-called educated Pakhtuns could neither read nor write Pashto script despite the fact that a standardised Pashto script had been evolved over three decades ago duly signed by eminent language experts and Pashto writers from Afghanistan, Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Hayat Roghani, on the occasion, said the Bacha Khan Trust would take the responsibility to act as a liaison among the stakeholders and also to publish contents in the form of pamphlets.

Noted writers, including Prof Noorul Amin Yousafzai, Hayat Roghani Faizul Wahab Faiz, Prof Samiuddin Arman, Kalsoomzeb, Noorul Basar Aman, Iqbal Momand, Zafarullah Bakhshali, Suleiman Kamil and Fazal Momand, volunteered services to serve as members of the Pashto Script Standardisation Board. Prof Noorul Amin Yousafzai, while chairing the event titled ‘ Da Pakhto Jirga’ said that the basic objective of the gathering was to develop a consensus on a standardised Pashto script in the light of the Baragali Pashto script.

Prof Sohail Khan from Abdul Wali Khan University, Mardan pointed out that scholars in Baragali had done a commendable job by evolving a standardised Pashto script but unfortunately, they had not taken into confidence the textbook boards, educational boards, editors, publishers and school teachers and therefore, in the absence of a language authority, script could not be implemented in spirit and letter.