PESHAWAR, Dec 24: Gandhara Hindko Board, a literary, cultural and social welfare organisation, has organised a two-day “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa languages and cultures conference” starting here from Saturday.

The event is being held in collaboration with the Forum for Language Initiative (FLI) that works for the preservation and promotion of the disadvantaged and neglected languages, said a press release issued here on Friday.

The literati and cultural experts on 30 languages spoken in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa -- Pashto, Hindko, Seraiki, Khowar, Indus Kohistani, Gojri, Badeshi, Bateri, Chilisso, Dameli, Gawri, Gawarbati, Gawro, Kalasha, Kalkoti, Kamveri, Kataweri, Maddagalashti, Pahari, Palula, Pashai, Farsi, Sarakoli, Shina, Sheikhani,Torwali, Ormuri, Ushojo, Wakhi and Yidgha -- will attend the moot, which is the fifth of its kind in the province.

According to Mohammad Ziauddin Siddiqui, a noted Hindko language researcher and convener for the conference, the theme of the event is “Save the dying voices and cultures of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.”

The participants will identify the problems they are facing in preserving and promoting their respective languages and cultures, besides suggesting the measures needed for changing the situation, said Zia, who specialises in documentation and research.

Fakhruddin, a Khowar language researcher from Chitral and member of the organising committee, said the two-day event would have a total of nine sessions -- five on the first and four on the second day.

The first day of the conference would have academic sessions while the second day proceedings are to be attended by the officials from the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco), National Language Authority, Pakistan Academy of Letters, Allama Iqbal Open University, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Textbook Board, Culture Department, public representatives and members of the civil society organisations.

Another member of the organising team and expert of Gawri language of Swat and Upper Dir, Zaman Sagar, said that the Pakistani language activists from UK, US and Canada would join proceedings through an audio conference and respond to the questions raised by the participants of the programme in Peshawar.