Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has agreed in principle to set up a Hindko Academy for the preservation and promotion of Hindko language and announced Rs5 million for the purpose.
The announcement was made by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Secretary Ghulam Dastagir while speaking during the first day of the Second International Hindko Conference that started here at Archives Hall.
A literary, cultural and social welfare organisation, Gandhara Hindko Board, is organising the moot that is being attended by delegates from different parts of the country and abroad.
The chief secretary said Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was aware of the importance of the native languages. "This is why a decision has been made to teach various languages at schools," the official said.
Dastagir said that Hindko was an important language of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He said the provincial government was ready to offer scholarships to those carrying out research on Hindko and other languages as it had great respect for all the languages. He said a Department for Hindko Studies would also set up at a later stage.
The chief secretary said the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government was making efforts to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the province. He said a decision had been taken to purchase and preserve the ancestral home of Indian cinema legend, Dilip Kumar, in Peshawar though the process has been delayed due to some legal complications. He said Sethi houses would also be saved to promote tourism.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Gandhara Hindko Board Chairman Ejaz Ahmad Qureshi enumerated the activities of the board. " We have published 50 books and arranged a host of literary and cultural events apart from carrying out social welfare activities since the body was launched in 1993 by late Prof Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan," said the chairman, who is also a retired chief secretary of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
A total of four sessions were held on the first day of the conference. Some of the speakers and presenters included Dr Tariq Rehman, Dr Anwaar Fazil Chishti, Ejaz Raheem, Karimullah Qureshi, Maqsood Elahi, Prof Saeed Ahmad, Dr Salahuddin, Bushra Farukh, Farooq Jan Babar, Dr Mohammad Nawaz, Prof Bashir Ahmad Soz, Dr Arifullah, Asmatullah and Mohammad Zaman Sagar. The papers by Dr Saima Afzal (Italy), Dr Anwar Dil (United States) and Dr Khalil Tauqeer were read out on the occasion.
The participants praised late Prof Dr Zahoor Ahmad Awan and Prof Dr Elahi Bakhsh Awan for their services for promotion and preservation of Hindko language and culture. Special prayers were offered for the departed souls of the both scholars. A poetry recital session was the last activity of the day one.
The venue was decorated with colourful banners and portraits of great Hindko Sufi poet Sain Ahmad Ali Peshawari. Various paintings in watercolour drawn by Prof Dr Ghulam Shabir adorned the hall and attracted the attention of the visitors, including a sizeable number of women.