The Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature is pleased to invite you to a talk on “Pashtun Hujra” Importance, Historical Traces, Present-Day Situation due to the Social Evolution, And the Future Challenges.

• Day & Date: Friday, February 17, 2023

• Time: 4:00 pm to 6:00 pm

• Venue: Auditorium A-12, Academic Block, LUMS.

To register for the event, please Click Here. The deadline to register is Thursday, 16 Feb 2023 till 3:00pm.

The Hujra has played a vital role in the spreading of political, economic, social, cultural, religious, and literary awareness in the Pashtun society. A place where elders and youngsters sit together, the Hujra has remained a pivotal point in shaping the future of the generations. From transferring the values of the Pashtun code of conduct and life to honoring the elders, Hujra covers almost all aspects of life. Structurally and architecturally, it takes many shapes and has had depending upon the region, class, and local-social values. However, due to social evolution, technological advancement, and rapid urbanization, it has been observed that Hujra is slowly losing its value and importance. It is primarily because the new generation isn’t giving due importance to the values and culture of Hujra. In the mentioned session, Dr. Noor ul Amin Yousafzai and Dr. Abaseen Yousafzai will be sharing their thoughts on the importance, historical traces, present-day situation, and future challenges posed to the Pashtun Hujra.

About Speakers:

Dr. Abaseen Yousafzai: 
Dr. Abaseen Yousufzai is a professor and chairman of the Pashto Department at the historical Islamia College Peshawar. He is a prominent figure in Pashto Literature. Widely recognized nationally and internationally, a Pashto poet and scholar who has written a lot of literary columns, articles, and books, Dr. Yousafzai is also a noted radio and TV anchor.  He belongs to Lower Dir, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. He did his LLB in 1986 from Peshawar University and MA in Pashto literature in 1988. He did his Ph.D. in Pashto in 2016 and is the author of 10 books in Pashto and Urdu.  He has been awarded over 400 medals and shields for his literary and social services. The government of Afghanistan gave him the presidential award for his contribution to Pashto literature. The President of Pakistan also awarded Dr. Yousafzai the Pride of Performance Award in 2020. He has three published poetry books to his credit. “Ghurzanguna” is his published book which has been published over ten times, holding the record of the first Pashto book being published that many times. His book "Alwat" was published five times and is still the best-selling book in the market even today. Not just poetry, he has seven prose books to his credit which are Roohnama, Zetoonbaano, Fun o Shakhsiat, Khutbaate Imam Khitaab, understanding FATA, Da Pukhtunkhwa Baani, and Pukhtoon Hamza. He has recently accomplished the gigantic task of compiling the Pashto syllabus for primary to intermediate level students at the Education Department, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. In addition, he has contributed numerous features and columns to Pashto and Urdu newspapers and magazines. He has also been grooming budding poets and writers. Dr. Abaseen Yousafzai is in charge of the historical Khyber Union Hall at Islamia College Peshawar. It is indeed an honor and pride because Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah was also a lifelong member of the historical Khyber Union Hall. 

Dr. Noor Ul Amin Yousafzai:

Dr. Noor-ul-Amin Yousafzai has served as a faculty member at the Department of Pashto, Islamia College Peshawar. He has also served as the principal of a Government Higher Secondary School. Currently, Dr. Yousafzai is serving as a Deputy Director at the Bacha Khan (Khan Abdul Ghafar Khan) Research Center, Peshawar. As an acclaimed prose writer, Dr. Yousafzai has twenty published books to his credit. Among these, five are fiction collections, three books on folklore in Urdu namely Art, Culture Aor Tareekh; Pashto, Pashtun Aor Pashtun Wali; Pashtun, Art, Aor Culture. His latest published book is Pukhtun Wali, Khaatiray, ao SuguRhey, which is based on theory and oral history of the Pashtuns’ code of life and conduct. Furthermore, Dr. Yousafzai has more than one hundred research publications to his credit and holds a significant place in the Pashtun prose writers’ community. Also, he has been associated, from time to time, with various institutions including Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad, and Pakistan Academy of Literature. Moreover, Dr. Yousafzai remained on the advisory board for various Pashto Magazines including Pukhtun, Mashaal, and Tanzeem. Also, he has moderated a TV show on Khyber TV for consecutive two years while also been associated with various radio stations. Currently, he is associated with Abaseen Radio, Peshawar, where he hosts a weekly program in Pashto. 

Moderator: Imad Khan, Faculty, LUMS

Regards,

Team, Gurmani Centre for Languages and Literature