A positive step taken some time ago was establishment of a Non-Profitable Organization (NPO) at Islamabad for research on languages spoken in northern Pakistan. It may be recalled that the administrative region formerly called Northern Areas was renamed as Gilgit-Baltistan and here ‘northern Pakistan’ is used in a general sense as it includes Chitral and some other areas in the north. This NPO, named Forum for Language Initiative (FLI), has not only helped researchers willing to work on languages spoken in the northern Pakistan but has also published over a dozen books on these languages in English and Urdu. One of FLI’s recent publications discusses languages spoken in Chitral and the surrounding valleys.

Dr. Rauf Parekh (Published on December 2, 2024, in Daily Dawn)

In “Languages of Chitral: Past, Present, Future” by Fakhruddin Akhonzada, detailed information is provided about the twelve languages of Chitral, namely Pashto, Palula, Dameli, Kateviri, Kamviri, Kalasha, Khowar, Gujari, Gawarbati, Madaklasht, Wakhi, and Yadgha. This is the first comprehensive research book on this topic, as previous works were often published in English and other foreign languages.

Suhail Ahmad Siddiqui (Published on November 10, 2025, in Sunday Express)

When I speak about my journey with FLI, before attending the three-day training workshop for female writers in 2022, I considered my mother tongue just a dialect. In that workshop, we were not only trained in writing but also encouraged to write. As a result, I started writing in the Shina language, and in 2024, my first book “Diwako Shlokay” was published. This was not only a significant achievement for me but also an honor to become the first female author of my language.

Iram Jaffar, FLI trainee from Shina Language Group (February 2025)

Since FLI has been working with us, poetry in our language has also been promoted. In a short period, many poets have come forward and started composing poetry in their mother tongue. In the past, our people used other languages for poetry and songs. Now, the youth are taking an interest in crafting poetry, and poetry sessions are held very often. Poets have started documenting their poetry.

Nadir Khan, Language activist from Kalkoti Community (February 2025)

The condition of Burushaski was such that there was no unanimous writing system. Every writer used their own method, which differed from others. Because of FLI’s advocacy, we established an organization with members from all groups. This organization revised the writing system and unified it. The government accepted this system for use in the curriculum. Many poets are now writing their poetry using the new writing system, and a poetry book has been published. Additionally, a book featuring poetry from multiple poets is in the pipeline.

Wazir Shafi Advocate, Language Activist from Burushaski Language Group (February 2025)