The Wakhi Tajiki language is an Iranian language in the subbranch of Southeastern Iranian languages (see Pamir languages). Wakhi Tajiks are also known as Pamiri Tajiks or Mountain Tajiks. The origin of this language is Wakhan in the extreme northeast of Afghanistan. A very rough estimate of the population of Wakhi Tajiks is 50,000 worldwide. Wakhi people live in four different countries. In the Northern Areas of Pakistan the Wakhi people mainly live in Gojal, Ishkoman, Darkut and Brughel. They do live in many parts of Tajikistan, Afghanistan and China. The religion of Wakhi Tajiks is Shia Ismaili Muslim, followers of Prince Karim Aga Khan.

In Pakistan the central organization of Wakhi Tajiks is the Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association Pakistan, (WTCA), an organization that is registered with the Government of Pakistan and that works with the colloboration of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism and Lok Virsa Pakistan. This Association is working for the preservation of the Wakhi Tajiki Language and culture as well as documenting the poetry and music. The education ratio among Wakhi Tajiks in the northern areas of Pakistan is about 60%. Radio Pakistan Gilgit relays the Wakhi radio programme "Sadaye Baamy Dunya", the voice of the roof of the world. The Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association has arranged more than twenty programmes since 1984, which includes cultural shows, musical nights, grand musical festivals with the colloboration of Lok Virsa Pakistan, Aga Khan Cultural Service Pakistan and Pakistan Television. In 2000, the WTCA won a "Best Programme" organizer award in the Silk Road Festival from the President of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf. A new computerized language has been released in Wakhi, which will help to promote the language development programme and documentation of Wakhi poetry and history.

References

• The Red Book of the Peoples of the Russian Empire
• Wakhi Tajik Cultural Association report 1991–2001

External links

• Ethnologue data: Languages of the World, 14th Edition[1] (http://www.ethnologue.com/show_language.asp?code=WBL)
• The Wakhis: Article from the Ismaili dot net [2] (http://www.ismaili.net/mirrors/pamir_001/wakhs.shtml)
• Wakhi people group statistics[3] (http://www.northernpakistan.com/synapse/homepage/view.cfm?edit_id=40&website=NorthernPakistan.com)