Wahdat
| Format | daily newspaper |
|---|---|
| Founder(s) | Peer Sufaid Shah Hamdard |
| Editor | Syed Haroon Shah |
| Founded | 1976 |
| Language | Pashto |
| Headquarters | Peshawar, Pakistan |
| Website | http://www.dailywahdat.com.pk |
The Daily Wahdat or Wahdat daily (Pashto: وحدت ورځپاڼه) is a Pashto daily newspaper published in Peshawar, in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa of Pakistan.
Pioneer of Pashto journalism in Pakistan, the daily Wahdat is the only Pushto language newspaper, which has been continuing its regular publication for the last 32 years following the principles of creative, positive and investigative journalism. Originating from Peshawar, the capital of North West Frontier Province now being renamed as Pukhtoonkhwa, the paper also reaches the hands of millions of other Pakhtoons living in Afghanistan and Middle East countries besides United States, Canada, Germany, Denmark, Russia and Iran. Pakhtoons living in these countries consider Wahdat as the single source to update themselves about the events taking place in their homeland, about their culture, language and traditions. Reading Wahdat is part of their daily routine, whether it is online newspaper or the one that they receive by Air mail under special arrangements by the Wahdat management. Wahdat is available online through its website (www.dailywahdat.com.pk), which is also unique in character as it contains a lot of informative and educative material about the land of Pakhtoons as well as Pakistan. Contents of the webpage include latest news, analysis, political comments, articles on different topics, research articles and material on Pashto literature, culture and customs.
The paper was founded in 1976 by Peer Sufaid Shah Hamdard, a well-reputed, well known and elderly figure in the field of Journalism in Pakistan on the advice and with the cooperation of outstanding writers, journalists and intellectuals of the area. Initially it was a weekly newspaper but later on, in 1983, it was converted to a daily. The high profile Pashto laureate, scholar, critic, researcher, poet and story writer Mr. Qalandar Momand (late) was the first Editor of Pashto daily Wahdat. The paper was then gradually joined by many other prominent journalists. It played a historic and an outstanding role in pursuit for armed uprising against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Daily Wahdat was then considered the media organ of Afghan fighters as well as Refugees, virtually furthering their plight, supporting their cause and creating an atmosphere of brotherhood and harmony between the uprooted Afghans and local population. This was an exclusive role of Daily Wahdat, which won recognition and appreciation from cross sections of people and leaders of both Pakistan and Afghanistan on different occasions and counts. The then President General Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq also confirmed the role of Wahdat in Afghan Jehad when he presided over the attend anniversary function of the daily in Peshawar on 18-2-1988. He found the Wahdat anniversary function as a perfect and appropriate platform to speak out his mind on the Afghan issue. Then he disclosed many important policy measures of the Government about the Afghan imbroglio including his reservations about the historic Geneva Accord on Afghanistan, which the then government, headed by Prime Minister Mr. Muhammad Khan Junejo was about to sign along with other stakeholders under UN indirect talk arrangement. The President also offered many incentives, concessions and facilities to the paper (Wahdat) to make it a more perfect, stable and strong Pashto newspaper. In his speech on the occasion the President eulogized the services of the paper for the cause of Pakistan as well as Afghan struggle against Soviet occupation, its policy of creating harmony among the people of Pakistan and their Afghan brethren, taking refuge in Pakistan and mustering unprecedented support in this regard.
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