Hindko Academy relocates to smaller premises amid fund freeze

PESHAWAR, (APP - UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 11th Jul, 2026) The Gandhara Hindko Academy has shifted from University Town to Rampura Gate as part of cost-cutting measures, after the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has continued to withhold funding for the research institution over the past four years.

People associated with the promotion of the Hindko language, literature, and culture said that all the academy's equipment, furniture and books had been moved to the office of the Gandhara Hindko Board in Karimi Plaza, Rampura Gate, in the old city area of Peshawar.

The board has been running the academy through donations from Hindko language enthusiasts since the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government discontinued funding after June 30, 2022.

When contacted, the academy's director, Dr. Muhammad Adil, confirmed the relocation. "This decision had to be made because maintaining the previous office involved higher expenses," he said.

Muhammad Ziauddin, a noted Hindko researcher and chairman of the executive committee of the privately run academy, also confirmed the relocation.

He said the Gandhara Hindko Academy was established in Peshawar in April 2015 under a public-private partnership.

"The Higher education Department of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government provided funding, while the Gandhara Hindko Board served as the implementing partner," explained Ziauddin, who is also the general secretary of the Gandhara Hindko Board.

"Over the years, the academy has produced research-based literary publications by engaging writers and poets from Peshawar, Nowshera, Kohat, Haripur, Abbottabad and Mansehra, where Hindko is spoken," he added.

Ziauddin said the academy later expanded its activities to publish books in 11 Pakistani languages in addition to Hindko, which, according to official estimates, is the sixth most widely spoken language in Pakistan and the second-largest language in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

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Asked to list the academy's contributions to the promotion of Hindko and justify continued government funding, he said the institution had made significant contributions not only to Hindko but also to other Pakistani languages spoken in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other provinces.

"The Hindko Academy has published numerous books, dictionaries and other scholarly works. We have organised literary and cultural conferences in Peshawar, Kohat, Abbottabad, Haripur, Mansehra, Dera Ismail Khan, Chitral and Swat to promote indigenous languages," he said.

Ziauddin said the academy has published literary journals, including Hindko Adab, Surkhail, The Gandhara Voice, Hindkowan, Gandhara news, Fatima, Taarey, Mother, Sargi Da Tara (Hazara), Kotal Rang (Kohat) and Gomal Rang (Dera Ismail Khan). It has also provided financial support to magazines published in Khowar, Torwali and other regional languages.

He said books and publications produced by the Hindko Academy had received awards from prestigious organisations, including the Pakistan Academy of Letters (PAL) and the Abasin Arts Council.

"The Pakistan Academy of Letters described the Hindko Academy as a state-of-the-art institution and awarded it an annual grant of Rs100,000," he said.

"The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government stopped funding the academy after June 30, 2022. Since then, the Gandhara Hindko Board has continued to run the institution through donations from language enthusiasts, ensuring that its work to preserve Pakistan's linguistic heritage continues," he added.

Ziauddin said the Federal and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governments had a constitutional duty to promote indigenous languages and cultures.

"Both governments should demonstrate commitment to the province's second-largest language by ensuring financial support to the academy," he demanded.