About Akkhar
Welcome to Akkhar, your comprehensive resource for Punjabi language, literature, and culture. We are dedicated to preserving and promoting the rich heritage of Punjab through digital innovation.
Our Mission
Our mission is to create a vibrant online platform that connects Punjabi speakers, learners, and enthusiasts worldwide. We strive to make Punjabi language learning accessible, engaging, and culturally enriching for everyone.
Our Vision
We envision a world where the Punjabi language thrives in the digital age, where cultural traditions are preserved for future generations, and where people from all backgrounds can explore and appreciate the beauty of Punjabi literature and heritage.
Our Team
Dr. Aneela Gill
Dr. Aneela Gill, Principal Investigator of this project, is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of English at National University of Modern Languages, Islamabad. As a native Punjabi speaker, she is passionate about the reclamation and preservation of Punjabi through digitization. Her research interests include: psycholinguistic issues in bi/multilingual memory, language processing in bi/multilinguals, syntax and syntactic theory.
Dr. Ata Ullah
Dr. Ata Ullah is Associate Professor at Department of Computer Science, NUML, Islamabad. He is also serving as Director IT. He has 18 years of extensive experience in developing and leading 35 software projects across industry and academia. Moreover, he has supervised 140 projects and won 58 interuniversity software competitions. He has authored 84 research publications and is ranked in the top 2% of scientists worldwide.
Dr. Aamir Zaheer
Dr. Aamir Zaheer is Assistant Professor of French and currently serves as the Head of French and Italian Departments at National University of Modern Languages. He holds a PhD in Phonetics and Phonology from the Université Franche-Comté in Besançon, France. His academic interests centre on the indigenous languages of Pakistan, with a specific focus on Punjabi and its speech varieties. He contributed to the project as Co-Principal Investigator (Co-PI), where he was responsible for preparing and editing Punjabi language-related content.
Bareera Nazir
Bareera Nazir is a PhD Scholar at the National Institute of Pakistan Studies (NIPS), Quaid-i-Azam University, Islamabad. She is currently serving as a Visiting Lecturer at Quaid-i-Azam University and Bahria University, Islamabad. She is also working as PhD Research Assistant in the current project, contributing to the development of Punjabi learning material. Her academic interests include education and social research.
Qurat-ul-Ain
Qurat-ul-Ain is a historian and performed an active role as researcher in this project. Her role was to add entries to the English-Punjabi Dictionary. She is an MPhil scholar at the Department of Pakistan Studies, with a research focus on Modern South Asia and Colonial Press. With 10 years of teaching experience at various institutions, she is currently working on a history book in the Punjabi language.
Muhammad Awais
Muhammad Awais Ahmed is a Front-End Developer and Computer Science graduate with experience in building responsive and scalable web applications using React.js, Next.js, and modern front-end technologies. He served as the frontend developer for this project, focusing on user interface development, API integration, and creating smooth user experiences.
Bilal Hussain
Bilal Hussain is a BS-IT student at NUML, Islamabad. He contributed to this project as a Backend Developer, helping to design and develop the secure, scalable systems that power the platform.
Abdul Basit
Abdul Basit is a skilled Mobile Application Developer and Research Assistant with a strong focus on building high-performance cross-platform applications. He has spent over a year working on a prestigious HEC-funded project, where he successfully utilized Flutter technology to design and develop robust mobile solutions. Driven by a passion for clean code and innovative engineering, Basit bridges the gap between academic research and practical software development to deliver impactful digital experiences.
Muhammad Aarif
Muhammad Aarif holds a Master’s degree in Political Science and is a multilingual language and script specialist. For this project, he managed the Gurmukhi, Shahmukhi, Devanagari, and Roman script data in the English-Punjabi Dictionary. His experience includes translating literary texts from Persian into Urdu, executing transliteration projects between Punjabi scripts, and developing custom phonetic keyboards for South Asian languages.
Muhammad Hamza Shahid
Muhammad Hamza Shahid is a Mobile Software Engineer and Consultant with approximately seven years of experience in software development. He contributed to this project as Short-Term Project Personnel.