Balkh: 50 students graduate from Pashto literature

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): About 50 students on Tuesday celebrated their graduation from Pashto literature at the university in northern Balkh province.

This year; the graduation party on the campus in Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital, was different from the past years as students presented cultural clothes exhibition, held roundtable discussions on development of Pashto language and attended a music session.

Ustad Zamir, Pashto literature lecturer, told Pajhwok Afghan News that the Pashto faculty was launched in the Balkh University ten years back.

He said Pashto language was not part of school and university curriculum in the past.

This year, 50 students graduated from Pashto literature and they included non-Pashtuns as well. He said speakers of other languages could also study Pashto literature. Rahmatullah, 36, a Dari speaker, was among the graduates.

Culturists in Balkh believe the new batch of graduates could serve Pashto language and rehabilitate losses the language suffered in the past.

Baryalai Jalalzai, a member of the Balkh Art Movement, said they were working for Pashto language development over the past 10 years.

He said a Pashto General Library was functional in the province, from where Pashto print and radio media outlets broadcasted their programmes. In addition, Pashto writers held weekly meetings in the library.

He said post-graduate studies in Pashto literature would further strengthen educational and cultural activities in the province.

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