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DND Report

Islamabad, Pakistan: May 21: Literary scholarship and linguistic research emerged as important instruments of regional connectivity at an international ceremony in Islamabad on Thursday, where Pakistani and Uzbek academics, diplomats and cultural figures gathered to launch two publications aimed at strengthening intellectual and cultural relations between the two countries.

According to State Run News Agency APP, the event, organized by the National Language Promotion Department in collaboration with the Embassy of Uzbekistan in Islamabad, featured the launch of Dictionary of Common Urdu-Uzbek Words and Twentieth Century Short Stories. Participants described the publications as significant contributions to comparative linguistic studies and cultural diplomacy between South and Central Asia. The event was moderated by Ch Hamid Mahmood, Brand Ambassador of Uzbekistan Tourism in Pakistan.

Federal Minister for National Heritage and Culture Division Aurangzeb Khan Khichi said literary and academic collaboration between Pakistan and Uzbekistan had played a constructive role in promoting bilateral relations and mutual understanding. He observed that the authors had made valuable scholarly contributions toward enhancing cultural awareness and academic cooperation between the two countries.

Khichi said intellectual exchanges and literary engagement could serve as effective bridges between societies with shared historical and civilizational roots. He also suggested that the Urdu-Uzbek dictionary should be digitized and made available online to improve accessibility for researchers, students and the general public.

The Urdu-Uzbek dictionary was compiled by Professor Dr. Tash Mirza, a distinguished Uzbek scholar of Urdu who completed his doctorate in Urdu language studies from Moscow University in 1961. Between 1983 and 1987, he served as Director of the Soviet Culture Centre in Karachi and later received Pakistan’s Sitara-e-Imtiaz in 2011 in recognition of his services to Urdu language and literature in Central Asia.

Dr. Tash Mirza has translated literary works between Urdu and Uzbek and also published Urdu translations of poems by celebrated Uzbek poet Ali Sher Navoi, whose literary legacy remains central to Turkic and Persianate literary traditions.

Addressing the ceremony as chief guest, Uzbekistan’s Ambassador to Pakistan Alisher Tukhtayev said the two countries were connected through centuries-old religious, cultural and historical ties. He noted that literary interaction and academic cooperation contributed to strengthening people-to-people relations and fostering mutual respect between societies.

The ambassador said the newly launched dictionary would help younger generations better understand each other’s language, culture and historical experiences, while also strengthening intellectual links between scholars and institutions in Pakistan and Uzbekistan.

Former senator Muhammad Talha Mahmood emphasized the importance of preserving historical memory and cultural heritage, stating that nations disconnected from their history risk losing their place in historical consciousness. He congratulated Dr. Tash Mirza and Professor Mohiya Abdulrahmanova for their scholarly achievements.

Federal Secretary for National Heritage and Culture Division Asad Rehman Gilani described the ceremony as more than a formal book launch, calling it a reflection of the enduring friendship between Pakistan and Uzbekistan rooted in shared historical and cultural experiences. He added that Urdu’s adoption of vocabulary from numerous languages reflected its pluralistic and inclusive character.

Director General of the National Language Promotion Department Professor Dr. Muhammad Saleem Mazhar said writers, poets and translators had historically played a critical role in bringing nations closer together. He praised Dr. Tash Mirza Khalmirzaev and Professor Mohiya Abdulrahmanova for completing what he described as a demanding and intellectually significant project.

Executive Director of the Pakistan Research Center for a Community with Shared Future (PRCCF), Khalid Taimur Akram, highlighted the historical depth of Pakistan-Uzbekistan relations, tracing them to the era of Zahiruddin Babar and Amir Timur. He noted that artistic and cultural influences from Samarkand and Bukhara had historically reached the subcontinent through Multan and other regional centers.

Akram also informed participants that a Babar Park was being constructed in Islamabad with the cooperation of Uzbekistan, describing it as another symbol of growing cultural engagement between the two countries.

Speaking on behalf of his father, Adil Mirza thanked the participants and remarked that direct flights between Lahore and Tashkent had substantially improved cultural and educational exchanges as well as people-to-people contacts.

“Short stories of the 20th century” compiled by famous Uzbek scholar, academician and writer Professor Mohiya Abdulrahmanova was also launched. She expressed satisfaction over the publication of the books and reflected on the complexity of lexicographical work, describing dictionary compilation as a task “comparable to digging a well with a needle.” The ceremony concluded with the presentation of books to distinguished guests, scholars and participants attending the event.

The launch underscores centuries-old historical and cultural links, including ties to Babur and Timur, with officials emphasizing enhanced mutual understanding, educational exchanges, and regional connectivity between South and Central Asia.