Pashto media

Pashto is not only the name of a language, but it comprises all traditions, norms and values of the Pashtun people.

Since paper was not much in use in the Pashtun territory, Poets usually performed poetry verbally and its fans memorized the work.

The poems by Amir Kror Suri were discovered and saved in Pata Khazana, a work compiled by Shah Hussain Hotaki and last edited by professor Abdul Hai Habibi from Kandahar.

Hashim Sarwani translated some Arabic poems in Pashto, and his work also came under light through the book, Pata Khazana.

After Abu Muhammad Hashim Sarwani, Sheikh Razi is another poet whose work is saved in the book, Pata Khazana.

Similarly, there are many other poets in the first phase of Pashto poetry (i.e. Amir Nasir Lodhi, Beat Neeka, Ismail Ster Bani (son of Beat Neeka), Kharshaboon (cousin of Ismail Ster Bani), Sheikh Asad Soori and others).

Intellectual, scholars and critics divide Pashto literature into two parts, i.e. poetry and prose.

However, the oldest complete prose book in Pashto that is still in existence today is Khairul Bayan.

The founder of the academy was Maulana Abdul Qadir who since his student-life was very concerned about the future of Pashto language.

Through this press, special kinds of pamphlets against Britain used to publish and distributed among the people of the tribal areas.

Similarly, Al Mujahid was another Pashto newspaper that started publishing in 1923 under the editorship of Maulvi Muhammad Bashir.

Wahdat started its publication in the 1980s during the Afghan war for the purpose to create a link between Pashtoons living on the Pakistan–Afghanistan border.

Weekly newspaper BADLOON published by Mardan Editor Muhammad Zaman Adil in the Association of Writer Hands Media Group.

During the world war-II, a magazine, Nan Paroon was published from Delhi under the editorship of Maulana Abdul Qadir and barrister Nasrullah Khan.

Some other magazines which have their own fundamental and historical place in Pashto journalism are Qand, Adal, Qandeel and Tamas.

Monthly magazine KARAHMAR published from Peshawar editor Muhammad Zaman Adil in Association of Writer Hands Media Group.

These stations tend to focus on community issues with programs about education, children, health and reconciliation.

Pashto though mainly a language in Afghanistan and Pakistan; is spoken in many parts of the world due to the large diaspora of these two countries.

In the meantime, Afghanistan had its own TV stations in the 1970s and 1980s, in which programs in Pashto and Dari were being broadcast throughout the country.

Voice of America in the United States also has a Pashto section called Ashna TV, which mainly broadcasts current news.

Like PTV Peshawar, the programs of AVT Khyber also consist of entertainment, news and current affairs.

The channel broadcasts 18 hours a day, providing educational, news, shows, dramas, and entertaining programs to the Afghanistan region as well as other countries via satellite.

It has many live shows such as Dini Larkhowani (Religious Guidance) and Nizaam Ao Meezaan (Government and Balance).

All Afghanistan related government or private websites provide access in Pashto language.

If there were waheed Murad, Nadim and Mohammad Ali in Lollywood (Urdu films), so Badar Munir, Asif Khan and many others were the chocolate heroes of During these days cinema was the most effective way to communicate with the people as the standard of the movies were very good.

Until the mid-1980s films were made on almost every subject and the people really loved to watch Pashto movies in cinema.

So Pashto films played a great role in development of Pakhtoon khuwa as though cinema used to situate only in the urban areas of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but people from far flung areas came to cities such as Peshawar, Mardan, and Mingora to watch films.

Now though the standard of the Pashto film has fallen very much, but the youths, especially the rural people still love to go to cinema.

For instance, Mir Hamza Shinwari who was a producer, director and a great name in the Pashto poetry.

Murad Shinwari is the one whose name comes in the list of the producers and directors who really served the Pashto industry in its real sense.