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Khyber TV a raging hit amongst Kashmiri Pashtuns
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: The Pakistan-based Khyber television channel is making waves amongst Kashmirs small Pashto-speaking population. Mostly concentrated in a few villages of the Ganderbal district, adjacent to Srinagar, the Pashto channel has given a new lease of life to the minority populations language and culture.
Since the Afghans left Kashmir in 1891, a small chunk of them chose to stay back in the villages of Gutlibagh, Mattan and some pockets in Baramulla and Indian-held Kashmir (IHK). Most of them are engaged in business and have been accorded permanent citizenship of Kashmir.
Over the years, community elders have expressed fears about the preservation of their language and culture. Newspapers in Srinagar are reporting that the Khyber TV is rejuvenating the local populations ages-old linkages with Pashtuns across the border.
A resident of Gutlibagh, Iqbal Niaz, told reporters that around 700 households watched Khyber TV religiously. The channel makes us become aware of the transformations in our culture and language. It has helped us improve our Pashto and its pronunciation, he said.
The channel has also bridged the cultural gap between Pakistani Pashtuns and their Kashmiri counterparts. Sher Alam, a local resident, said, Our new generation does not know what the real Pashtun culture is, but this channel has brought them face to face with the original Pashtun culture.
The residents now prefer Pashto soap operas over the ones aired on Indian channels.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
By Iftikhar Gilani
NEW DELHI: The Pakistan-based Khyber television channel is making waves amongst Kashmirs small Pashto-speaking population. Mostly concentrated in a few villages of the Ganderbal district, adjacent to Srinagar, the Pashto channel has given a new lease of life to the minority populations language and culture.
Since the Afghans left Kashmir in 1891, a small chunk of them chose to stay back in the villages of Gutlibagh, Mattan and some pockets in Baramulla and Indian-held Kashmir (IHK). Most of them are engaged in business and have been accorded permanent citizenship of Kashmir.
Over the years, community elders have expressed fears about the preservation of their language and culture. Newspapers in Srinagar are reporting that the Khyber TV is rejuvenating the local populations ages-old linkages with Pashtuns across the border.
A resident of Gutlibagh, Iqbal Niaz, told reporters that around 700 households watched Khyber TV religiously. The channel makes us become aware of the transformations in our culture and language. It has helped us improve our Pashto and its pronunciation, he said.
The channel has also bridged the cultural gap between Pakistani Pashtuns and their Kashmiri counterparts. Sher Alam, a local resident, said, Our new generation does not know what the real Pashtun culture is, but this channel has brought them face to face with the original Pashtun culture.
The residents now prefer Pashto soap operas over the ones aired on Indian channels.
Daily Times - Leading News Resource of Pakistan
