Ba-Qalam Khud

Ba-Qalam Khud is a cultural and educational initiative dedicated to preserving the heritage of South and Central Asia — especially Pakistan — through original content, modern learning, and regional storytelling.

We believe in the power of the pen (qalam) — and of the self (khud) — to document, explore, and express the richness of our traditions while adapting to the realities of the digital age. From folk music to academic insight, podcasts to public courses, our work celebrates the voices, cultures, and knowledge systems that often go unheard.

We are based in Quetta, but our reach — and our roots — stretch across deserts, cities, mountains, and minds.

🛠️ What We Do

EXPERIENCE

🎶 Music Originals

We record, publish, and archive rare and traditional folk music from across Pakistan — from the rabab melodies of Quetta to desert voices from Tharparkar and Bahawalpur. These recordings, many dating back to 2012, are now available via our YouTube channel. Our mission is to preserve disappearing instruments, voices, and rhythms by producing high-quality original content.

🧠 Courses & Digital Education

Our newest offering is Hunarmand Future, a 2-day skills course teaching high school to university students — and professionals — how to thrive in the digital world while staying rooted in cultural and academic integrity. More workshops and courses are coming soon.

🎙️ Mehfil - The Podcast

We run two podcast series:

Voices from Quetta & Balochistan: Featuring changemakers like wildlife photographer Mayen Khan and the founder of Quetta Online Volunteer Group, these conversations explore regional resilience, creativity, and social change.

Mehfil-e-Musanifeen - Authors of the Subcontinent: A literary series featuring thinkers and writers like Nikhil Gulati (People of the Indus), Hammad Rind, Anirudh Kanisetti, and Parvati Sharma. We dive deep into forgotten histories, languages, and storytelling in the region.

🎯 Mission

To protect, platform, and pass on the intellectual, artistic, and linguistic heritage of Pakistan and surrounding regions — while equipping our people for a smarter, safer, and more creative future.

📂 Projects

EDUCATION

Audio-visual archiving of folk traditions and oral heritage

Audio-visual archiving of folk music, oral storytelling, and endangered instruments from across Pakistan and South/Central Asia — beginning with field recordings dating back to 2012.

Preserve

Educate

Highlight

Courses, podcasts, and accessible learning tools for modern skills

Producing modern, accessible learning experiences — from digital skills courses like Hunarmand Future to podcast-based education and youth-focused content.

Regional cultures, languages, and creators brought to the spotlight

Shining a light on regional cultures, languages, and creators through interviews, documentaries, music sessions, and curated storytelling across platforms.

📂 Future Projects Include:

To travel across rural and remote areas, capturing live music, oral histories, and local voices in high-quality formats.

🎙️ A Mobile Studio for Field Recordings

🗣️ Language-Learning Tools for Regional Tongues

🧾 A Digital Archive of Poetry, Music, and Untold Histories

Interactive resources for learning and preserving languages like Brahui, Balochi, Seraiki, and others on the brink of digital extinction.

A searchable, public-facing library collecting forgotten verses, lost voices, and the living knowledge of our ancestors.

📧 Contact Us

📍 Based in Quetta, Pakistan

📱 WhatsApp: 0345 834 0573

📧 Email: bqkbaqalamkhud@gmail.com | qalam@baqalamkhud.org

🌐 Website: baqalamkhud.org