Dr. Attash Durrani (Urdu: عطش درانی) (b.jan.22, 1952) is a Linguist, Scholar, Terminologist, Translatologist, Educationist, Theorist and Pakistani Author, currently serving as Project Director, Center of Excellence for Urdu Informatics, National Language Authority, Pakistan.^[1].He is author of 140 books and 270 papers of English and Urdu.^[1].

His publications are in the field of Urdu Language and Literature, Literacy, Urdu Informatics,Research, Dictionaries^[2] and Terminologies, Bibliographies and Encyclopedias etc. He has been listed in INTERNATIONAL WHO'S WHO in Translation and Terminology (1995), published by: Union Latine; Infoterm; INTERNATIONAL Where + How; and Praetorius;and he is also listed in The Linguist List. His credentials as an Expert in Multilingualism are mentioned in International Directory of Multilingualism, Union Latine Paris (2007).^[3]

His Books "Iqbal ka Incyklopadia" and "Pakistani Urdu " received appreciations from Presidents of Pakistan.^[4] He is deriving also a hypothesis on Pakistani as a language on e-world , a theory against Hindustani.

Dr. Attash Durrani did his Ph.D. in Urdu Terminology in 1991 from University Oriental College, University of Punjab, Lahore. His major contributions include development of Urdu Code Plate and Keyboard, Urdu Informatics Linguistic Aspects^[5], Localization and Transliteration for Computers and Ghost Characters Theory. He is also known as Localization Guru of Pakistan.^[6] He is a curriculum specialist for Urdu, Literacy and Urdu Informatics.

He was the first in-charge of Microsoft Local Language Program for Urdu Language^[7]. He is also Head of Bureau of Translation, Dictionaries Terminologies at the National Language Authority. ^[8].

His project includes an Institute for Urdu Informatics, related with Urdu language research and development for use on computers.^[9]. During his early career he was editor of different journals e.g. "Kitab" ,"Maloomat" ,"Sayyarah Digest" ,"Urdu Nama" ,"Taleem-i-Musalsal" and "Akhbar-i-Urdu".

[edit] References

[edit] See also

• Nastaʿlīq script
• Urdu Informatics

http://www.microsoft.com/middleeast/Pakistan/conference/Speakers.aspx