Minister opens Pashto dept at Swat varsity

MINGORA: Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Syed Jamal Shah inaugurated the Department of Pashto at the University of Swat on Thursday.

Faculty members, students, and guests attended the event, presided over by Vice Chancellor Prof Dr Hassan Sher.Jamal Shah said promoting the mother tongue is important for national development, and lauded the decision to introduce the Pashto Department at the graduate level.

He acknowledged Swat’s historical use of Pashto as an official language during its princely state era and hailed the establishment of the Pashto Department as a milestone in fostering the language through academic research.

The vice chancellor, in his speech, discussed the university’s achievements and future plans and said efforts were being made to elevate the institution’s international standing.He announced plans to introduce departments like Peace and Conflict Studies, Climate Change, and others to meet the demands of the current era.

Known Pashto poet and academician Prof Dr Abaseen Yousafzai commended the decision, and said that the Department of Pashto would provide theoretical knowledge and contribute to preserving the rich history of the region.

The ceremony was also attended by Director of Hunarkada Islamabad Amna Shah, advisor to the Ministry of National Heritage and Culture Kashif Irshad, and local poets and academicians. The department was inaugurated with a ribbon-cutting and cake cutting ceremony by the chief guest.