pkinfo: Languages

Punjabi

Punjabi is the mother tongue of the majority of people in Pakistan. According to 1981 census, the last census for which the figures are available, Punjabi (including Saraiki, Hindko and other variations) is the “commonly spoken in the household” language for 60.43 per cent Pakistanis. Yet, Punjabi has no official status either in Pakistan or in West Punjab. The rich tradition of Punjabi literature, going back to the 12th century AD when Baba Farid composed his poetry in a highly developed and sophisticated Punjabi language, has been forgotten. Among the educated classes of Punjabis, instead of pride and affection, contempt and shame for their culture and language is commonly observed.

Poets

Sultan Bahu - 16th-17th c
Bulleh Shah - 17th-18th c
Waris Shah - 18th c
Khwaja Ghulam Farid - 18th-19th c

Sultan Bahu

Bulleh Shah

Waris Shah

Khwaja Ghulam Farid

Writers

The quality of it's writers' writing clearly speaks of the richness of language of the writings............ Punjabi language has a rich heritage beginning even from pre-Baba Farid, Guru Nanak, Sah Hussain, Sultan Bahoo, Waris Shaw and coming to the present.

Bulleh Shah
Waris Shah's
Khwaja Ghulam Fareed
Sultan Bahu

Bulleh Shah

Waris Shah's Ancestral Home

Khwaja Ghulam Fareed

Sultan Bahu

Singers

Abrar-ul-Haq
Alam Lohar
Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan
Jawad Ahmad

Abrar-ul-Haq

Alam Lohar

Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan

Jawad Ahmad

Pashto

Pashto is spoken as a first language by 15.5% (28-30 millions) of Pakistanis, mostly in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and in Balochistanas well as by immigrants to the eastern provinces who are often not counted due to census irregularities. The Pashto has rich written literary traditions as well as an oral tradition. There are two major dialect patterns within which the various individual dialects may be classified; these are Pakhto, which is the Northern (Peshawar) variety, and the softer Pashto spoken in the southern areas. Khushal Khan Khattak (1613–1689) and Rahman Baba (1633–1708) were the most famous poets in the Pashtolanguage. In the last part of 20th century, Pakhto or Pashto has produced some great poets like Ghani Khan, Khatir Afridi and Amir Hamza Shinwari. There are also many Pakistani's from the adjacent regions of Punjab, Sindh and Balochistan who are conversant in Pashto and count it as their second language. They are not included in the overall percentage. Karachi is the biggest Pashto speaking city in the world although the Pashto speakers constitute only about 20% of Karachi's population.

Notable Figures

Khushal Khan Khattak
Rahman Baba
Nazo Ana
Ghani Khan

Khushal Khan Khattak

Rahman Baba

Nazo Ana

Ghani Khan

Pashto Poetry

Some notable poets from the region of Afghanistan-Pakistan include Amir Kror Suri, Khushal Khan Khattak, Rahman Baba, Nazo Tokhi, Ahmad Shah Durrani, Timur Shah Durrani, Shuja Shah Durrani, Ghulam Muhammad Tarzi, Khan Abdul Ghani Khan, and many others.

Pashto Poetry

Singers

Aryan Khan
Ustad Beltoon
Sardar Ali Takkar
Rahim Shah

Aryan Khan

Ustad Beltoon

Sardar Ali Takkar

Rahim Shah

Sindhi

The Sindhi language is ancient and rich in literature. Its writers have contributed extensively in various forms of literature both in poetry and prose. Sindhi literature is very rich and is generally considered to be among the world's oldest.

Sindhi Poetry

Sindhi poetry continues an oral tradition of a thousand years. The verbal verses were based on folk stories. Sindhi is one of the oldest languages of the Indus Valley having own literary colour both in poetry and prose. Sindhi poetry is very rich in thoughts as well as contain variety of genres like other developed languages.

Miyun Sufi Shah Inayat
Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai
Sachal Sarmast
Sherko Bekas

Miyun Sufi Shah Inayat

Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai

Sachal Sarmast

Sherko Bekas

Singers

Shazia Khushk
Nadeem Mirani
Sarmad Sindhi
Shaman Ali Mirali

Shazia Khushk

Nadeem Mirani

Sarmad Sindhi

Shaman Ali Mirali

Balochi

Balochi is spoken as a first language by about 4% of Pakistanis, mostly in Balochistan province. The name Balochi is not found before the tenth century. It is believed that the language was brought to its present location in a series of migrations from the Kurdistan region of northeastern Iraq and northwestern Iran. Rakshani is the major dialect group in terms of numbers. Sarhaddi is a sub-dialect of Rakshani. Other sub-dialects are Kalati (Qalati), Chagai-Kharani and Panjguri. Eastern Hill Balochi or NorthernBalochi is very different from the rest. Balochi language is very close to the Persian itself. The name Balochi or Baluchi is not found before the 10th Century. It is believed that the language was brought to its present location in a series of migrations from northern Iran region of Caspian Sea. Rakshani is the major dialect group in terms of numbers. Sarhaddi, is a sub dialect of Rakshani. Other sub - dialects are Qalati, Chagai Kharani, and Makrani. The Eastern Hill Balochi or Northern Balochi are distinctdialects.The Kethran language in North East Balochistan is also a variant of Balochi.It is one of the 9 distinguished languages of Pakistan. Since Balochi is a very poetic and rich language and have a certain degree of affinity to Persian and Urdu, Balochi poets tend to be very good poets in Urdu as well and Ata Shaad, Gul Khan Nasir and NoonMeem Danish are excellent examples of this.

Balochi Poets

The Balochi poetry has it's own special merit. The Baluchi poems are both epic and narrative but seldom dramatic. The poet in ecstatic mood emerges himself in his hero, and paints a series of true pictures about his sword, his mare, his fights, his wanderings, his likes and dislikes.