The experts have standardised the alphabet of the Hindko language and handed over the agreed set of letters to the Khyber-Pukhtunkhwa (KPK) Textbook Board to launch work on the Hindko curriculum. The consensus was reached at the third meeting of the committee of the Hindko experts which was held under the aegis of the KPK Textbook Board at the Higher Education Commission office here at Hayatabad.
KPK Textbook Board Chairman Dr Fazal-ur-Rahim Marwat chaired the meeting where the participants discussed the proposed alphabets. The Hindko primer prepared by a noted writer, researcher and linguist Professor Dr Elahi Bakhsh Awan and published by the Gandhara Hindko Board and the ones compiled by Professor Hussam Hur and Hindko Taraqiyati Idara were discussed threadbare along with the alphabets proposed by the participants.
Professor Dr Daud Awan and Professor Dr Khalid Khan made informative presentations on the alphabets and orthography. Managing Director of the Ummi Socio-Education Services and Publishers Ms Farzana Maruf, who remained involved in the process since the day one and had facilitated earlier meetings of the committee with follow-ups, attended the proceedings on special invitation.
Other experts included Haider Zaman, Sultan Sakoon, Professor Hussam Hur, Mohammad Ziauddin, Shakil Ahmad Manglori, Sheen Shaukat, Mohammad Nawaz, Waseem Ahmad, Farooq Ahmad, Rustum, Sabir Hussain, Abdul Waheed Bismil and Imtiaz-ul Haq.
Representing Professor Dr Elahi Bakhsh Awan, a Hindko scholar from the University of London, who is based in England, Mohammad Ziauddin said the alphabets that the lexicographer from Peshawar had proposed in the primer met the phonetics requirements of the language. Professor Hussam Hur and reps from Hindko Taraqiyati Idara dwelt at length on the primers prepared by them. It was followed by an open discussion.
The discussants praised the efforts put in by all language specialists from various areas of the KPK. They suggested that the Hindko alphabets should be kept closer to Urdu so that the children find no difficulty in learning the language as that would ultimately contribute to national cohesion. The daylong discussions led to standardisation of the Hindko alphabets and the agreed set of letters was submitted to the KPK Textbook Board.
The participants thanked the KPK Textbook Chairman Dr Fazal-ur-Rahim Marwat and Managing Director of Ummi Socio-Education Services and Publishers Ms Farzana Maruf for arranging three meetings for standardisation of the Hindko alphabets. They hoped the board would now launch work on the Hindko curriculum without any delay.
KPK Textbook Chairman Dr Fazal-ur-Rahim Marwat expressed gratitude to all the participants. He said the Board would publish books in Pashto, Hindko, Seraiki, Khowar and Kohistani to introduce teaching of these languages at the educational institutions. He said all KPK languages were dear to him which should be developed without any bias. It is worth mentioning here that the KPK government plans to introduce teaching of various native languages at schools. The Hindko language is spoken in seven out of 25 districts of the KPK-Peshawar, Nowshera, Swabi, Kohat, Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra. Under the proposed plan, Hindko would be taught in the above seven districts.