Pakistan emerged on the map of the world on 14 August 1947 as a consequence of a political movement. This movement mobilized the Muslims of India through two symbols: Islam and Urdu. Whereas the Islam of the symbol was a monolithic faith; the Islam of .....

This book is about Pakistan's tumultuous history and its interminable pursuit of its own identity as it emerged as a pivotal player in a volatile region. Nine scholars focus on politics, ethnic issues, foreign policy, economy, social structure and a plural culture.....

The 21st of February is celebrated as World Mother Tongue Day. The UNESCO, which hopes to make people conscious of the importance of the mother tongue, declares in its latest publication Education in a Multilingual World (2003), that the most suitable language for teaching ....

The activists of the Punjabi movement want Punjabi to be used for educational, administrative, and judicial purposes in the province of the Punjab. As the Punjab is the most populous and prosperous province of the country, notorious for its dominance in the army and ......

If one goes to an elitist English-medium school and meets the principal, or whoever condescends to grant an audience, one finds out that one's mother tongue - assuming one is a Pakistani - is held in supreme contempt. I once asked a certain principal whether Punjabi .........

Waris Shah is much misquoted and misunderstood as a poet but the scholarship needed to separate chaff from his poetic grain may not be in the offing at all Most of the people, who thronged to the annual urs of Waris Shah last week at Jandiala Sher Khan in Sheikhupura,

Sheikh Muhammad Sharif Sabir is, perhaps, the best living scholar of Punjabi language in Pakistan. He has edited at least half a dozen of Punjabi classics ranging from Puran Bhagat in 1972 to Heer Waris Shah in 1986.....

All of Najam Hussain Syed's poetic work has been written in rhythm and rhyme, meant to be sung or dramatically recited like most classical Punjabi poetry......

Characterisation of 'woman' in Punjabi literature is unique in more than one ways. For instance, she is portrayed as the lover rather than the beloved -- the ma'shooq of Persian ghazal; she is described as a member of the female collective -- trinjan or aatan; she is shown in.....

There is some of Najm Hosain Syed's work, where you can tell the earlier writings from his later ones, at least in his poetry, but not in his prose, criticism or drama. This book is a collection of newspaper articles written by him in his mid 20s....