We are thrilled to share some exciting news! FLI trainees from the Indus Kohistani community have achieved a major milestone with the publication of TWO important books:
A Riddle Book: Featuring over 40 riddles with translations in Urdu and English, this is a delightful addition to children’s literature in Indus Kohistani. Huge applause for Mr. Mutabar Shah Rashid, a senior researcher and FLI trainee, for his dedication and hard work!
Rhetoric, Morphology, and Syntax of Indus Kohistani: This Urdu-language book, written by the remarkable Faizi brothers—Dr. Hussain Ahmad Faizi and Mufti Rashid Ahmed Faizi Advocate—dives deep into the technical aspects of linguistics and sets a high standard for literature in the language.
We are incredibly proud to support such inspiring contributions to the preservation and development of Indus Kohistani. These works show the power of local researchers stepping into fields traditionally dominated by others, and we hope they motivate many more to explore their potential.
Let’s celebrate the achievements of Mr. Mutabar Shah Rashid, Dr. Hussain Ahmad Faizi, and Mufti Rashid Ahmed Faizi Advocate!

On February 21st, coinciding with International Mother Language Day, dozens of Bateri language speakers gathered in Kohistan to mark a historic moment—the first publication in their mother tongue, the Bateri Alphabet. The event, held at a nearby school, was joyously attended by community members who eagerly celebrated the debut of the book in their language. Students were given copies of the book to familiarize themselves with their own alphabets. Language activists from the Indus Kohistani group also joined the celebration, showing their support and solidarity.

Prior to this milestone, the Bateri language was solely an oral tool. It was not until the Forum for Language Initiatives (FLI) intervened a year ago that the transformation began. The initial step was to determine if the community wished to preserve their linguistic heritage or shift to another language. The Bateri speakers’ profound love for their linguistic identity motivated FLI to collaborate with them for the development of their language. Educated individuals from the community dedicated themselves to this cause, engaging consistently from the start to the end to turn their dream into reality.

Today, the community celebrates their remarkable achievement. They have transitioned their language into written form, eliminating the need to use Roman script to express themselves. Their language now stands as a powerful tool for them to write whatever they think and feel.

We congratulate all those from the Bateri language group who dreamed of making their language a medium for literature development. This success is a testament to their perseverance and commitment. We also urge the young people from the community to continue using their language on social media and in all aspects of their lives. The journey of the Bateri language has just begun, and its future is bright.

FLI, like always has once again presented an overview of its last year’s achievements highlighting some important gains of the year. FLI is celebrating Ms. Iram Jafar, a FLI trainee from Shina language community who has published her debut book. FLI has reached out to Saraiki speaking government primary schoolteachers with a program of training them in Saraiki training based on its pilot project, it executed in Upper Chitral. FLI has a plan to train at least 100 schoolteachers from Saraiki language. FLI has also signed a MoU with Allama Iqbal Open University, Islamabad.

You can go through the soft version of our Newsletter (Annual Report 2024) by clicking the link.  https://fli-online.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/Annual-Report-2024.pdf

FLI supported a bilingual poetry session at a government high school in Beory village, Southern Chitral. The majority of the village’s population speaks the Palula language, and this was the first poetry session where they were joined by Khowar poets, a predominantly spoken language in the Chitral valley. Over a hundred people attended the event, including community members of Palula and Khowar, teachers, religious leaders, students, and poets from both language communities.

Four poets from the Palula community and sixteen from the Khowar community presented their poems. The Principal of Government Higher Secondary School, Drosh, Mr. Muhammad Saleem Kamil, was the chief guest on the occasion. He appreciated the concept of holding a bilingual poetry symposium, encouraging the Palula community poets to express themselves in front of the Khowar people. He added that the event would introduce the tradition of enjoying each other’s languages, leading to harmony among linguistic communities and strengthening the linguistic diversity of the valley.

The participants thanked FLI for supporting such a delightful event, which provided a pleasant experience for all.