Rehmat Aziz Chitrali

Rehmat Aziz Chitrali, M.A LL.B IIA Laureate, Gold Medalist, AFRCS,
Rehmat Aziz Chitrali Innovation Awardee (Germany), Innovative Awardeeee (IYF), Gold Medalist (NPC), Gold Medalist (JFP)
Native name	رحمت عزیز چترالی
Born	(1970-04-25) 25 April 1970 Chitral, North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan
Occupation	Blogger for rights to Mother Language Education, Youth Development & Human Rights, Children, Youth, & Women Rights activist, Social worker, Urdu poet, Peace poet, Broadcast journalist ,author, Peace Advocate, & Pioneer of Khowar Wikipedia
Nationality	Pakistani
Ethnicity	Khoshey
Citizenship	Pakistan
Education	M.A IS with specialisation in Quran and Tafseer, BLIS, LL.B, DISE, DIL, DIJ and Research in Pakistani Languages
Genre	Ghazal; Free verse Nazm & Humorous poetry;
Notable works	Guldasta-e-Rahmat, Guldan-e-Rahmat; Gul Afshaniat-e-Iqbal; Chitrali Grammer;Gulzokh, Khowar Wikipedia, Chitrali Keyboard, Khowar Unicodes; Khowar Vocabulary
Notable awards	NP (Nominee), IIYA, IA(Germany), PNA from Journalist Foundation Pakistan, RSA, QYL Award (nominee), Shandoor Award; Chitral Human Development Award; SF; Children Literature Award; YSA; Dr.A.Q.Khan Gold Medal 2015, AFRCS, SL
Signature
Website
Khowara Niveshuur la jama

Rehmat Aziz Chitrali (Urdu: رحمت عزیز چترالی ‎) Gold Medalist, World Record holder^[1] IIA, IIA(Germany), PNA SF; YSA; AFRCS, SL also widely regarded as Mohsin-e-Lisaniyaat (Urdu: محسن لسانیات‎; lit. "Benefactor of Languages"), more popularly known as Rahmat Chitralvi,^[2][3] 25 April 1970) is an Urdu and Khowar poet, from Chitral, North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa), Pakistan. He works as journalist, columnist, linguist^[4] TV show host and Khowar language political analyst.^[5] Chitrali was at the forefront of the Khowar Language Movement and was most active between 1990 to 2012.

Rehmat is a Pakistani intellectual, Human Rights Activist, Youth Activist and linguist. He was among the foremost authorities on Mother Language Education and languages of Pakistan. He invented a multilingual text editor for Pakistan’s forty languages which can be used to type as many as forty languages of Pakistan with a single plate from. Throughout his career, Chitrali held various positions and international fellowships, apart from developing softwares for Pakistani languages, he is particularly known for linguistic work on mother languages spoken in Pakistan. He is also the recipient of various national, international and awards in Pakistan. As a prolific linguist, he is able to speak, read and write many local and international languages and dialects. He is the former President of Anjuman-e-Tarraqui-e-Khowar, and Khowar Academy. He is working as Host & Anchor of the Khowar language Television programme, Chitraro Hawaz (Voice of Chitral, Urdu: چترال کی آواز ‎), at the AVT Khyber Media Group^[7] and also writes Khowar News for Khyber News TV and hosts Chetraro Hawaaz on Khyber News.Previously he has worked in PTV's programme Sunday Brunch^[8] with Rashid Sammi. He has written many books on prose and poetry. His poetry work has been appreciated by poets and writers of Pakistan.^[9] Rehmat, an ethnic Chitrali, graduated in BLIS, with an MA degree and LL.B degree, to become the first Khoshey LL.M Degree holder of Khot Valley. He scored highest marks in the all the exams from Matriculation to M.A.LL.B .

He received an Associate Fellowship from Royal Commonwealth Society, (Great Britain) in 2015. During the same year, Chitrali received Yasirullah Shaheed Award and International Innovation Award .In 1992, he was appointed President Anuman-e-Tarraqui-e-Khowar Karachi. He remained Chairman of the Khowar Academy. In 1999, Aziz became Honorary Managing Editor of Chitral Vision newspaper.

Biography

Rehmat Aziz Chitrali was born in Chitral, Pakistan. He studied at Federal University of Arts, Science and Technology, Islamabad Pakistan and Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad. He settled in Karachi, Pakistan in 1985. He moved to Islamabad after his marriage to Hashima Chitrali a Chitral-based teacher in 2007.

Education

Rehmat Aziz receiving Shandoor Journalism and Literature Award from Prince Mohiuddin

Chitrali studied until 10th in Khot Valley Torkhow. For further studies he was sent to Booni at Khandaan where he got admission into the Government Inter College, Booni.

After passing his F.A examination from this college, he went to Karachi to pursue a higher education. He passed his Master Degree in Islamic Studies with specialisation in Quran and Tafseer, LL.B. and Library and Information Degree.^[11]

Rehmat Aziz Receiving Dr.A.Q.Khan Gold Medal & Award 2015 at Islamabad

Group Photo of Gold Medalist with Rahmat Aziz

Career

Rehmat in traditional Chitrali dress

Chitrali came into the spotlight with his program Chetraro Hawaz the Chitrali language's longest-running current affairs TV show. His show carried interviews with prominent people from politics, civil life, literature and culture. Politicians who were interviewed on Chetraro Hawaz included Prince of Chitral Mohiuddin, former Member National Assembly Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, Qazi Fazal Elahi, Wing Commandar Fardad Ali Shah, Educationist Syed Wali Shah, Social Worker Sultan Mehmood Minister for population and Welfare Government of Khyber Pakhtun khwa Saleem Khan, PTV Producer Habib-ur-Rahman, and Ismaili Religious Scholar Syed Amir Shah.^[12]

During his editorship in Shandoor Magazine at Karachi, Aziz worked as a Secretary General of Chitral Welfare Association. Later, in 2000 he became Managing Editor at the Chitral Vision. In 2001, he translated Khowar literature into Urdu language for M.Phil students and research scholars of Allama Iqbal Open university, Islamabad. Over the span of his career, Chitrali has been awarded honorary fellowships by the Royal Commonwealth Society of Great Britain (2015).

Chetraro Hawaz – Khyber News TV

Khowar Text Editor by Rahmat Aziz

In April 2009, Chitrali joined Khyber News TV, at AVT Khyber TV, he hosted the show, Chetraro Hawaz (Voice of Chitral). Due to his open criticism of the corrupt politicians, terrorists and taliban on the show, R. A. Chitrali became a problem for the regime.^[12]

Khowar Academy

In 1996 a literary organisation named "Khowar Academy" was formed to promote the language of Chitral and for the rights of the people of Chitral District. He is the president of this organisation and is an active participant. During this time he briefly held the office of President of Anjuman-e-Tarraquir-e-Khowar in Karachi. The Khow youth elected Chitrali as General Secretary of this organisation while Ali Afsar Jan Advocate was the President. Rehmat Aziz Chitrali resigned from his designation to promote the new organisation. Afraid of the popularity of the Anjuman, the anti-chitralis conspired against the Organization.

Literary career

The candour and frankness of his highly-charged poems is unusual for a young generation writing in Urdu and Khowar language and he has gained a committed national audience, performing at large poetry gatherings in Pakistan. Rehmat Aziz Chitrali wrote poems in Chitrali, Urdu and Khowar language. Most of his poems are in Khowar and Urdu languages. He was good friends with Ahmad Faraz. Once Faraz Sahib was the managing director of National Book Foundation offered to translate Rehmat Aziz's poems in Urdu but Rehmat Aziz turned down the offer. Most of Rehmat Aziz's Urdu poetry was written between 1985–2012. Rehmat Aziz Chitrali's Urdu and Khowar poetry is filled with revolutionary and anti-imperialist themes and it reflects his progressive nature and socialist ideals. Rehmat Aziz Chitrali is very much against the class differences that prevailed at that time, and still do. His poems exhibit his dislike for the chauvinistic attitude of the rich towards the poor.^[13]

Rehmat receiving Pride of the Nation Gold Medal & Award from journalist Tazeen Akhtar

Troyki is a form of Khowar/Chitrali poetry initiated by Rehmat Aziz Chitrali. Unlike sher, a Troyki consists of three "hemistichs" (misras). The first two are complete in themselves but the addition of the third misra gives a new dimension.^[15]

Example of poetry

An example of Rachitrali's Troyki:

اللہ مہ خودای تہ نام رحمان دی رحیم دی

تو غفار دی، غفورالرحیم دی

کرم کوس اسپہ سورا تو رب کریم دی

Transliteration

Allah ma khodai, ta nam Rahman di Raheem di

tu ghaffar di, ghafoor-ur-Raheem di

karam kos ispa sora tu Rabb-e-Karim di !!

Translation

O my Allah! Your name is Rahman and Raheem

You are Ghaffar also, and you are Ghafoor-ur-Raheem

O Allah Help us, you are Rabb-e-Karim

Yak Misraee Nazm

Allama Iqbal's poetry translated into English and Khowar language by Rehmat Aziz Chitrali

Yak Misraee Nazm (Urdu:یک مصرعی نظم) is a part of the Khowar and Urdu poetry, that is normally written in one verse. Nazm has many different forms as, Yak Misraee Nazm is a form of Khowar/Chitrali poetry and Urdu poetry initiated by the khowar poet Rehmat Aziz Chitrali. Unlike sher, a Yak Misraee Nazm consists of one verse only.^[16] He is a member of younger generation of male poets. His experience of living in Karachi shows a notable impact on a significant number of poems. Living through Diaspora has increased the complexity of his poems and reinforced his sense of male identity and introduced a new revolution against restraint of creative writers in Pakistani society. In 1999, the Ministry of Culture, of Pakistan published his book, Gul Afshaniat-e-Iqbal (Versified Khowar Language translation of Allama Iqbal's Poetry). Chitrali is also credited with authoring Khowar and Urdu humorous poetry. These works were published by Khowar Academy in 1996.^[17]

Bibliography

Chitrali wrote many books on history, phonology, research and poetry and translated several works from other languages into Khowar and Urdu.^[18]

Children Literature Award

Own poetry

In addition to studying classic poets like Ghalib, Mir Taqi Mir, Ibn-e-Insha and sufi poets like Allama Iqbal, Buley Shah, Rehman Baba and Khushal Khan Khatak he has written his own poetry of Khowar language, of which there are around 500 ghazals.^[5][19]

One of his early poems, which won the attention of Khowar poets during a khowar mushaira by ATK for young poets when Aziz was 25 years old, was:

ھردی یہ عزیزو مو ٹیر دک مشکل مہ درد لادوا ھمو گیر دک مشکل ھردیو لووان دومان ریکو ضمیر نو نو ران ھتوعو سار بشار گانیکو ھتے کورظاھیر نو نو ران ھانیسے مہ حالو کھیوت بشار گانس عزیز کا ھو دوواھرتہ نیشیتای ھسے روپھیکو روخڅیتای		The tumultuous heart Aziz does not settle down no matter what Perhaps there is no resolve to this pain of love. Self-pride kept from telling the condition of my heart She did keep asking but we just couldn't tell. Why are you asking the condition of Aziz from me; Once he sat down at her doorsill, he just couldn't get up.
—Rehmat Aziz Chitrali[20]

Awards and distinctions

Among other national and international awards, he received, Tamgha-e-Chitral, Shandoor Award, Chitral Human Development Award, Rising Star Award, International Innovation Award(Germany), Innovative Initiative Award, Yasirullah Shaheed Award, Pride of the Nation Award & Gold Medal, Dr.A.Q.Khan Gold Medal & Award in 2015 from the Nazriya Pakistan Council Government of Pakistan. Rehmat Aziz Chitrali was awarded SI for Children Literature by Ministry of Education Government of Pakistan and National Book Foundation for his literary services.^[21]

Books and publications

^{[22] [23]}

Year	Awards and Gold Medals	Description	Country
2000	Shandoor Awards	Awarded by Shandoor Trust (Regd) for preservation and promotion of Khowar Language	Pakistan
2006	Chitral Human Development Awards	Awarded by CHDWO Karachi for promotion of language and culture documentation	Pakistan
March 2011	Sanad-e-Lisaniyaat Awarded by mylanguages.org for promotion & preservation of Khowar and Urdu languages of Pakistan	For promotion and preservation of Khowar and Urdu languages in Pakistan	Australia
March 2013	Sanad-e-Fazeelat	Awarded by Dawah Academy International Islamic University, Islamabad for promotion of Children literature	Pakistan
2014	Innovative Initiative Awards	Awarded by Innovative Youth Forum, Swat Pakistan	Pakistan[24]
2014	N-Peace Award	(Nominee) Nominated by N-Peace Network and UNDP	Sweden[25]
2014	Pride of the Nation Gold Medal Awards	Awarded by Journalist Foundation Pakistan for outstanding services of languages of Pakistan	Pakistan
2014	International Innovation Awards	Awarded by Haji Shareef Educational and literary Academy Germany awarded Rehmat Aziz Chitrali with International Innovation Award۔	Germany[26]
2014	Queen’s Young Leaders Awards (Nominee) Nominated The Royal Commonwealth Society London	The Royal Commonwealth Society Great Britain London nominated Rehmat Aziz Chitrali for Queen’s Young Leaders Award ۔	England[27]
2015	N-Peace Award	(Nominee) Nominated by UNDP	Sweden[28]
2015	Yasirullah Shaheed Awards	Awarded by Tehreek-e-Jawanan-e-Pakistan Chitral Wing	Pakistan[29]
2015	Dr AQ Khan Gold Medals	Awarded by Nazriya Pakistan Council, Government of Pakistan, Islamabad	Pakistan[30]
2015	Associate Fellows of The Royal Commonwealth Society of Great Britain	Awarded by Royal Commonwealth Society Great Britain	United Kingdom
2015	Pakistan Youth Icon Awards	Awarded by United Nations and Youth Revolution Clan, Pakistan	United Nations

Tribute of Pakistani media to Rehmat Aziz

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rehmat Aziz Chitrali.

• "Rehmat Aziz Chitrali sets world record in linguistics". Dawn News TV. 2015. Retrieved 22 October 2015. 
• Nasim Zehra (2015). "Tribute to Pakistani Linguist Rehmat Aziz by Nasim Zehra Anchor Channel 24". Retrieved 22 October 2015. 
• Nazriya Pakistan Council (2015). "Nazriya Pakistan Council Islamabad". Retrieved 22 October 2015. 
• Chitrali, Rehmat Aziz. (2015). "The Khowar Language Text Editor". Retrieved 15 October 2015. 

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Rehmat Aziz Chitrali.

• Rehmat Aziz sets World Record in Linguistics
• Express Tribune Interview to Express Tribune with the New York Times
• dardistantimes.com Dardistan Times report
• pamirtimes.net Literary Circles demands Civil Award for Chitrali
• Spanish Article about Rehmat Aziz Chitrali’s life and works