Renowned Gilgit Baltistan religious scholar, translator of Holy Quran into Brushashki language and sufi poet Aalijah Ghulam Uddin Ghulam Hunzai passed away on Tuesday after a short illness. He was 97, reported 24NewsHD TV channel.

Besides writing a number of books, Ghulam Uddun Hunzai was one of the first few poets of the Brushashki language. He played a key part in the promotion of this language. He also arranged the alphabets and the grammar of the Brushashki language.

Many of his books were in Urdu and Persian besides Brushashki language. The element of Tasawwaf was quite prominent in his poetry.

He dedicated most of his life to teaching and promotion of the religion.

Late Ghulam Uddin Hunzai will be buried in his village in Sultanabad in Gilgit.

Alijah Ghulam Uddin Ghulam Hunzai was one of the most revered scholars and poets of Gilgit-Baltistan. Ghulam Uddin Ghulam was known to many as Ustad Ghulam Uddin, ‘Ustad’ denotes in Burshakshi language as ‘Educator’.

Alijah Ghulam Uddin had served a lifelong service to educate the people of Gilgit-Baltistan. His meticulous services in the field of education started around late 1930s, when he was about 12 years old and one of a very few people in the beautiful valley of Hunza who have then an education till 5 grades. His journey began as a voluntary schoolteacher in the picturesque kingly hamlet of Altit which continued till the end when Ustad-e-Muhtram was still engaged in educating youth and the masses.

One of the most distinctive achievements of Alijah Ghulam Uddin was the translation of the Holy Quran into Brushashki language.

In recognition of his grand services the then Prime Minister of Pakistan Shaukat Aziz had invited him to Prime Minister House and presented to Alijah the token of appreciation and expressed gratitude for his tremendous scholastic services towards the Muslim Ummah in general and for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan in particular.