PESHAWAR: Teenager Bilawal Latif Dawar, a seventh grader from Hamzoni Alikhel village of Miramshah town in North Waziristan tribal district, brought out his maiden book on Pakhtun heroes with an objective to send out a message to young students to beat boredom of staying home and bring out their strength through positive activities, including reading and writing.

He told Dawn that he wanted to counter the negative narrative built about Pakhtuns and educate youths to develop reading and writing skills for a bright future.

It was a tough time for his family to shift to Peshawar in 2013 following an operation by security forces in its area. When he was born, his parents were well settled in the posh Peshawar Hayatabad locality. Young Dawar later got admission in the Army Public School, Kohat, whose hostel environment inspired him to participate in healthy activities besides sports and class assignments. He continued to read books.

The teenager said he was born with a flair for reading and writing and when schools were closed due to pandemic, it was a golden opportunity for him to embark on his dream journey of writing a book on Pakhtun heroes to counter the narrative of some negative-minded people, who took Pakhtuns for granted believing that most of them were uneducated and uncivilised and were even militants.

Bilawal Dawar says he wants to counter negative narrative about Pakhtuns

“ After doing enough research and seeking guidance from parents and writers, I decided to write the book, Pakhtun Heroes, first to prove that there had been great Pakhtuns in almost every field and second to give a positive message to my young fellows that instead of wasting their precious time, they should bring out their hidden talents during the pandemic.

“It would not only help decrease their mental stress but would also open up their minds for future challenges. Reading and writing are the best recipes,” he said.

The 70-page book is about several legendary Pakhtun personalities, including kings, army generals, peacemakers and Sufi poets.

Starting with Afghan kings Ahmad Shah Durrani, Sher Shah Suri and Ibrahim Lodhi, the list includes Ali Kuli Khan Khattak, Karnal Sher Khan, Hamza Baba and ends with Bacha Khan.

The book also sheds light on different Pakhtun dynasties and Pakhtun diaspora across the world.

“Work, work and work were the only words of Quaid-i-Azam [Mohammad Ali Jinnah] that have been echoing in my ears since I was in third grade. I have fulfilled a great dream of my life and my future plans are to continue improving reading and writing skills and advise my young friends to utilise their inborn talent for the national interests and show the world that Pakhtuns are brave and peaceful and love humanism.”

The teenager said he had already begun work on a book on Balochistan – their land and people.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2020