Extensive research should be carried out to preserve and promote Hindko language.
This was stated by an eminent Hindko writer, poet and research scholar Mukhtar Ali Nayyar (Tamgha-i-Imtiaz) while presiding over a literary function held here under the auspices of the Gandhara Hindko Board to enumerate the services of Hindko writer Maqbool Ajaz Ajazi.
Nayyar said that Hindko was the sixth main regional language of the country, spoken not only in Peshawar, Hazara, Kohat, Pothwar, but also in Kashmir.
He said it had rich heritage which needed to be preserved and promoted by Hindkowans themselves as there was no official patronage to the language.
The stalwart researcher praised Maqbool Ajaz Ajazi for his works on the Hindko language and exhorted the young Hindko writers and poets to emulate him.
Earlier, the function started with recitation from the Holy Quran by Kamran Tabassum.
General Secretary of the Gandhara Hindko Board, Mohammad Ziauddin invited the participants to speak about the life and works of the poet who has been composing poetry since 1968 and has to his credit two Hindko poetic collections-Tara Veera and Bol Malanga.
Those who spoke on the occasion included Professor Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan, Professor Dr Nazeer Tabassum, Professor Nasser Ali Syed, Professor Aqeel Ahmad, Professor Fazl Hussain Sameem, Sheen Shaukat, Sabir Hussain Imdad, Yousaf Aziz Zahid, Aurangzeb Ghaznavi, Ismail Awan, Sabeeh Ahmad, Malik Arshad, Qadeer Ahmad, Akmal Naeem Jameel Ahmad, Sajid Sarhadi, Anwer Khan, Younas Qayasi and Haji Haleem Jan.
Most of the speakers praised the poet for giving a new life to Hindko by using the classic words of the language in his poetry. "He is pained at seeing vanishing cultural values of Peshawar and these feelings are reflected in his poetry", the literaturers said of Ajaz whose another book of poetry- Tal Tali and work of Hindko home wisdoms- Kabeetan will get into print soon.
The Gandhara Hindko Board offered to publish the work of Maqbool Ajaz, saying his poetry highlights the rich culture that Peshawar has had in the past and which was fast diminishing in the present-day mechanical life.
In his brief address, the poet said he owed a great debt of gratitude to Mukhtar Ali Nayyar, who helped him serve his mother language by properly guiding him. He expressed satisfaction that the young Hindkowan generation was getting increasingly aware about the importance of Hindko language and culture.
On repeated demand from the participants, Maqbool read out verses from Tara Veera and won acclaims.