PAHARI AND POTHWARI - A SOCIOLINGUISTIC SURVEY

Northern Pakistan boasts a rich variety of linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Much has been learned about the sociolinguistic situation of this part of the world through recent research, such as the Sociolinguistic Survey of Northern Pakistan (O’Leary 1992). Cultural societies in various language communities are supporting mother-tongue literacy and production of vernacular literature as a means of preserving the rich ethnic heritage of this area.

 The Punjabi dialect chain in the Indo-Aryan language family includes millions of speakers in northern Pakistan. This is one area where the sociolinguistic situation has not been investigated. Choosing a well-respected and widely understood dialect for development of printed and oral materials is an important factor in literacy and literature development. Knowledge about language vitality and domains of use is important for language planners who make decisions about future education and training.

Pahari, which means “mountainous,” is primarily spoken in the Murree and Kotli Sattian tehsils of the Rawalpindi District in northern Pakistan. The Murree dialect of Pahari ends at the Jhelum River, but another dialect of the same language, also called Pahari as well as Chibhali, extends into Azad Kashmir. As one travels from Murree to Abbottabad, one passes through a transitional region between Ayubia and Nathiagali, where the language gradually changes from Pahari to Hindko. 

Pothwari is spoken in the plateau south of the Pahari dialect area. Its southern border is formed by the Salt Range; from there the area runs northward to Rawalpindi and eastward to the Jhelum River. As one travels from Rawalpindi to Murree, the language transitions from Pothwari to Pahari around Bharakao, approximately where the Murree Hills begin. Mirpuri is spoken in the district of Mirpur in Azad Kashmir. People who live in this area refer to their language sometimes as Mirpuri but also as Pahari. Hundreds of thousands of those living in this district have immigrated to the UK and other countries (Lothers and Lothers 2003).

Michael Lothers and Laura Lothers published a survey report in 2010, comprised of 262 pages. This report gives a snapshot of the Pahari-Pothwari language complex. It addresses questions of dialect versus language and the number of dialects through synchronic, descriptive means rather than a historical, phonological comparison. The survey team used oral interviews, questionnaires, wordlists, comprehension testing, and our own observation from the two and a half years we lived in Murree, Pakistan.

The Pahari-Pothwari language complex includes three major but mutually intelligible dialects: Pahari, Pothwari and Mirpuri. Those speaking the latter, Mirpuri, also refer to their language as Pahari.

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GC OSSAMA ZAFAR SATTI - SHAHEED

GC Ossama Zafar Satti was born on 29th May 1992. He passed his F.Sc from F.G Sir Syed College, Rawalpindi, and was enrolled in the Mechanical Program offered at the college of Electrical and Mechanical Engineering(EME), NUST. He was on a hiking expedition at Nanga Parbat Base Camp where his foot slipped and he lost his life on 27th of July, 2013. He was only 21 years old.

Ossama Zafar Satti was an avid sportsman and had a craze for adventure. He had an excellent academic record, and knowledge of world events and enthusiasm on debating them. May his soul rest in peace.

BRIGADIER (R) JAVED AHMED SATTI - RECIPIENT OF THE PRIDE OF PERFORMANCE

Brigadier (R) Javed Ahmed Satti was born in a hilly village of Kahuta hills in Rawalpindi district, who came from a very modest background. He was assisted in his education by Lt. Commander Muhammad Azeem Satti, his relative and an officer from Pakistan Navy, which enabled him to secure commission in the Army. He was a brilliant officer who, besides being talented, extremely motivated, such was the tenor with which he served till his retirement as a Brigadier. He was convinced that access to education made the difference to his life, he decided to repay the debt.

After his retirement, Brig Javed established Al-Azeem Trust with the aim of imparting quality education to deprived children of backward areas so as to enable them to realise their talent, both for livelihood generation and for being socially responsible.

Brigadier Javed, along with his wife, started the first school of Al-Azeem Trust in their village, Behand, Tehsil Kahuta, District Rawalpindi, in April 2002. The Programme aims at grooming talented children up to the time they are able to generate their livelihoods, whether it involves supporting their higher professional studies or exposing them to vocational training. The Children of parents who cannot afford the tuition fees are admitted. Yet, an excellent quality of education is maintained, for which teachers are trained. They display exceptional commitment, are well paid and the academic standards are strictly monitored.

A unique education system has evolved in Kahuta region over the last thirteen years to endow the younger generation and the larger society with hope. The Al-Azeem School System is an outcome of labour of love a son of the soil who rose in his professional pursuits and chose to pay back.

The Al-Azeem School System is dedicated to quality education and brick and mortar figures out as the lesser priority. Education in the English medium is provided at the door steps and beneficiaries pay for the tuition consistent with their capacities. The marginalised access free education.

Al-Azeem School System is now financially self-sustaining. It provides quality education to over seven thousand students studying in twenty-two schools, from the primary level to the twelfth class.

 Quality control figures out as perhaps the most challenging function in a major undertaking. Yet issues like chronic absenteeism, misdemeanours or financial embezzlement rarely figure out. The School System works on a unique ethos that equates commitment to education with core self-interests. In the beneficiary communities, the elders solidly support the programme as they see the future of their children through the Al-Azeem School System. For the senior teachers, delivering quality education derives self-esteem. The younger teachers endeavour to excel the standards that are set.

In a school in village Behand, neatly lined children were seen collecting wrappers and waste. The activity flows from one of the numerous lessons that promote ‘tarbiat’ or civil behaviour, alongside education. Others inculcate the virtues of compassion, sharing, social responsibility and attending to the personal hygiene. What they learn in schools is practised at home, thus bringing about a social change through the process of reverse osmosis.

Local educated women and younger girls practically run the entire School System which includes providing tuition and rendering administrative functions. Al-Azeem School System stands out as a model for women empowerment and sterling performance which is second to none. Its results rank among the best in the Rawalpindi Division and many students are accepted into the quality institutions for higher education.

As part of its social responsibility, Al-Azeem School System has over the years concertedly contributed in restoring the local forests. These efforts range from community based awareness raising, provision of watch and ward services and re-plantation of trees during monsoons. There is evidence of the pine and tree cover gradually reviving in the region and near denial of space for the timber mafias. An effective communities’ driven model is created which may be studied for wider replication. Environmental awareness can be gauged by the fact that even the local streams are cleaner from our standards.

Volunteerism more than anything else reflects social mobility in a society and fosters a sentiment of self-reliance. It is evident from the wider communities’ support for the Al-Azeem School System which includes activities like maintaining the road access to the schools, providing watch and ward functions and diverse services. The School System is being aptly supported by so many voluntary contributions.

An unswerving commitment to the future of the younger generation through quality education has welded together a sustainable bond between the beneficiary communities and the Al-Azeem School System. A situation where everyone stands to gain.

The Azeem Public School System has set high standards for teachers and students. Competent teachers are hired and are paid competitive salaries. Students are exposed to challenging curricula that provides a strong foundation of math and science, and instills confidence in them. During the past two years boys and girls from Azeem Public Schools have secured top positions in the annual board examinations.

Over the past decade, the dedicated educational service provided by the Al-Azeem Trust has raised the standard of primary education in the villages surrounding Islamabad. In future, Al-Azeem Trust plans to build institutions of higher learning to help their students pursue college education after they complete their secondary and higher secondary education.

The model of Azeem Public School System needs to be emulated all over Pakistan to create level playing fields for the poor children. Kudos to Azeem Public School System for illuminating the lives of the poor children with the flames of educational discovery and curiosity.

Recently a new “Taj Mosque” was inaugurated at the main campus of the Azeem Public School system, located in the village of Behand. The mosque, located on the mountain top, is named after Brig. (R) Javed’s mother “Taj.” The design of the building is the brainchild of Air Commodore Ahmed Salam Khan.

Brigadier (R) Javed Ahmed Satti has been awarded the President’s Award for Pride of Performance for excellence for services to Pakistan on 23rd March 2018.

SHARENA SATTI - POET / WRITER

Sharena Satti is a poet, born on 7th of February 1984 in Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. She started writing at a very young age. It was her childhood that sparked the gift of poetry and it soon became her saviour and guide. It gave her a meaning to life and a new direction.

She published her first book "Testing Times" in January 2017, this book contains a variety of poems covering different topics all really relevant to today's society. And her second book "Broken Chains" was recently published in January 2018, this book will allow you to explore the mind of a poet, you will connect to her spiritually and visualise her world. She is currently working on her new book "Phoenix The Reborn". 

Sharena Satti mainly write about life experiences, they have always been her driven force when writing poetry, the more emotion the more real the poem feels. She loves seeking inspiration from nature and the outdoors, where she feels at complete home. Poetry allows herself to express her emotions without bottling them up.

She seeks inspiration from piano music, looking at the moon and stars, weather change, open nature, her children, people and human emotions. Sharena Satti is happily married and mother of three girls, who are her universe and her inspiration.

Click here to visit her blog "MomentousTreasures"

Click here to visit her Poetry page on Facebook

 

TEACHER OF GEOGRAPHY - A DOCUFICTION

Teacher of Geography ( جعرافیہ کا ماسٹر ) is a Docufiction inspired from the short story of Masaud Mufti, and dramatized by Shakeel Adnan Hashmi, is based on Master Chaand Tara of Indian Occupied Kashmir, which was filmed in Kotli Sattian and will be aired on PTV on 5th of February 2018 (Kashmir Solidarity Day) at 07:45 pm.


 CLICK HERE TO WATCH THE PROMO OF جعرافیہ کا ماسٹر

Behind the Scenes

ZIAFAT SATTI - SHAHEED

Ziafat Satti - Shaheed

Ziafat Satti of Dheerkot, Kotli Sattian was among 11 soldiers of the Pakistan Army, who were martyred on Saturday (03/Feb/2018) when a terrorist blew himself up during a volleyball match near the Pakistan Army's sports unit situated at Sharifabad area of Swat's Kabal tehsil in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The soldiers were playing volleyball in the evening outside the Military base, when a suicide bomber managed to blow himself up. The match was also being watched by civilians, and the casualty count couldn't rise as a large number of people had gathered in the area, adding that wounded were shifted to a nearby Military hospital.

BASHIR AHMED SATTI SHAHEED

Sepoy Bashir Ahmed Satti, 38 FF Regiment of Pakistan Army embraced martyrdom on 26th April 2014 at Dana Back Sector, LOC Kashmir. He hailed from Biaga, Kotli Sattian, Rawalpindi.