For the Stori family, Pashto is more than a language
Born in Germany, Pohyal Stori didn't forget his roots. From Afghanistan's Khas Kunar, where people mostly speak the beautiful language of Pashto, he's a true patriot. While his family comes from a political background, Pohyal has a bachelor's degree in computer science. Son of Dr. Abdul Nasir Stori, Pohyal is the grandson of the legendary Pashtun nationalist, late Dr. Kabir Stori. Here's his story.
Pohyal's grandfather went to Germany on government scholarship
Born on April 6, 1942 in Kunar province, poet, writer, and politician Kabir Stori was Mirdakhel from tribe Yousafzai. After his early education from a government school in Khas Kunar, he joined Kabul-based Rahman Baba Lycee for further studies. Later, he went to Germany on government scholarship and received his doctorate in natural sciences. He also took up philosophy, political science, sociology, and psychology.
Was elected chairman of the Pashtoons Social Democratic Party
Regarded as the most motivated and active politician of that time, Kabir was elected as a chairman of the Pashtoons Social Democratic Party (PSDP) in February 1981. Previously in 1966, he became chairman of Frankfurt's Afghan Students Association, and later the General Union of Afghan Students in 1972. He also served in the National Liberation Union of Pashtuns and Balochs in 1976.
Kabir was a patriotic poet who wrote in Pashto
Apart from promoting Pashto as a commentator for Deutsche Welle in 1973, Kabir was a patriotic poet who wrote in Pashto, the most comfortable language among people who followed his mottoes. Through his poetry, he portrayed sensitive and elegant concepts about Afghanistan and its importance worldwide and also encouraged young generation of citizens living in the state or abroad to always love their country.
He died in 2006 following a severe heart attack
He died on April 4, 2006 following a severe heart attack in Germany, and was buried in Khas Kunar. The government of Afghanistan honored Kabir Stori on his 7th death anniversary by changing the name of his previous school to Dr. Kabir Stori Lycee.
Pashto, Pashtuns come from the borders of Pakistan, Afghanistan
Dari, Urdu and Arabic are the common languages in Muslim countries, especially Afghanistan. Pashto, along with Pashtuns, come from the borders of Pakistan and Afghanistan. This language is regarded as a symbol of love and heritage for many families of Afghanistan. With the establishment of the modern era, people adopted many other languages. They later replaced these languages with Urdu and English.
Pohyal wants Pashto to be known as Afghanistan's identity
More than a language, Pashto is a family heritage for Pohyal. He wants it to be known as Afghanistan's identity. Like his family, Pohyal is patriotic and loves the language. He is also a fan of Manzoor Pashteen, a human rights activist from South Waziristan, who is promoting Pashto on a big platform. Pohyal and Manzoor share the same vision for their mother tongue.
Pohyal recently launched a software called nandara, a Pashto translator
Starting programming at the age of 9, Pohyal recently launched a software called nandara, a Pashto translato. Further, he has established an open-source database and Pashto web fonts that can use other search engines like Bing or Google. This software has unlimited text translations, and the users can translate a whole document in a few minutes.
Reasons behind the web font and open source feature
Web font feature in any software allows download of a specific font file along with the website. It means that any browser which is supporting web fonts will have the same font. An open-source database feature gives much assistance, because it has an open code, free to be downloaded, modified, and can easily be reused. It protects data to prevent leakage on other sites.
Meanwhile, what does the name Pohyal Stori mean?
In pashto, 'Pohyal' means 'the knowledgeable' and 'Stori' is star. So, 'Pohyal Stori' translates to 'the knowledgeable star'. Named by his grandfather, Pohyal Stori is the sole bearer of this name in the world. Notably, Stori family has pursued the ideology of Pashtunistan or Loy Afghanistan for many years. Pohyal too, follows his grandfather's and father's steps to work for the country and language.
Pohyal sets an example for the upcoming generations
The ambitious contribution of Pohyal towards Pashto is an excellent example for the upcoming generations. The world needs more people like him who not only work for their nation but also makes their country and heritage proud across the globe.
