Pahari-Pothwari interpreters and translators anywhere in the UK for British Kashmiri and Pakistani families, GP practices, hospitals, schools and courts, with face-to-face, telephone and video interpreting, certified translation between Pahari and English, and bookings taken 24 hours a day.
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Pahari interpreting services
Pahari changes as you go north. Mirpuri, at the southern end, and the Pahari of Muzaffarabad, at the northern end of Azad Kashmir, differ enough to cause real misunderstandings, with Pothwari and the speech of the Murree hills lying between them. Give us the family's home district and we will look for an interpreter from the same end of the language.
Interpreting is consecutive, a sentence or two at a time. Pahari has no single standard form, so a good interpreter tunes in to the client's own speech in the first few minutes rather than expecting the client to adjust to them.
Face-to-face interpreting
The interpreter comes to you: a hospital ward, a courtroom, a council office, a home visit or a business meeting. It is the best choice when people need to read expressions as well as words, or when the conversation is long or sensitive.
Telephone interpreting
The quickest option to set up. It works well for short calls, triage, appointment reminders and quick checks with a client.
Video interpreting
A Pahari interpreter joins by video for remote hearings, consultations and meetings, which helps when there is no interpreter near you.
We also provide medical interpreting and conference interpreting.
Certified Pahari translation
Pahari can be written, in the Shahmukhi script, and it has a literature: the nineteenth-century Sufi poet Mian Muhammad Bakhsh, who lived at Khari Sharif near Mirpur, wrote Saif-ul-Malook, which is still widely known wherever Punjabi and Pahari are spoken. Official papers are another matter. A Pahari-speaking family's Pakistani documents are in Urdu or English: the Nikah Nama, the handwritten marriage contract, is often entirely in Urdu, down to the mehr and the witnesses, while NADRA identity cards come in English or in both languages. Each of our translators translates into their native language, so these go into English with a native English speaker who reads Urdu.
- Certified translation of birth, marriage and death certificates, passports, driving licences, degree certificates and bank statements, for the Home Office, courts, universities and employers.
- Legal translation: witness statements, court bundles, contracts and immigration papers.
- Document translation of medical reports, letters, leaflets and patient information.
- Urgent translation when a deadline is close.
- Transcription of Pahari audio and video recordings, with an English translation if you need one.
English to Pahari translation
For anything written, Urdu is the usual choice, but check the reader. A grandparent who had little schooling may not manage formal Urdu, and a grandchild born here may read English better than either. For patient information or a council message meant for everyone, pair a plain Urdu text with a spoken Pahari version, recorded or delivered by an interpreter. Tell us who the readers are and we will suggest the mix.
Pahari court and police interpreters
The National Register of Public Service Interpreters (NRPSI) lists Pahari, Mirpuri and Pothwari as languages in their own right, so registered interpreters for this language do exist. For court, tribunal and police work we choose Pahari interpreters with legal experience from among them, or holders of the Diploma in Public Service Interpreting (Law) where a Pahari speaker has it. A witness may name their language as Pahari, Mirpuri or Pothwari; for a trial, the closest match to their home district is best.
How to book a Pahari interpreter
- Tell us about the assignment: the date, time and address, or that you need telephone or video; how long it should last; and what it is for, such as a hospital appointment, a hearing or a business meeting.
- Tell us about the speaker: their country or region and, if you know it, their dialect. Mention any preference for a male or female interpreter.
- Get your quote. We email you a quote, with no obligation to book.
Call 0800 2425 125, email info@uklinguisticservices.co.uk or request a quote online.
About the Pahari-Pothwari language
Pahari-Pothwari is an Indo-Aryan language, spoken mainly in Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the Pothohar plateau of northern Punjab in Pakistan.
It is mostly spoken rather than written, and its speakers generally write in Urdu.
At the 2021 Census, 22,798 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Pakistani Pahari (a census category that includes Mirpuri and Potwari) as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (9,446 people), Bradford (1,429) and Rochdale (1,384). Source: Office for National Statistics.
Before you book: In the UK, Pahari usually means the language of Mirpur and Kotli. Elderly speakers often follow a Pahari interpreter far better than an Urdu or Punjabi one, especially at a medical appointment.
| Language family | Indo-Aryan language |
|---|---|
| Where it is spoken | Pakistan-administered Kashmir and the Pothohar plateau of northern Punjab in Pakistan |
| Writing system | Rarely written; Urdu is used instead |
| Language code | phr |
| Main language in England and Wales (Census 2021) | 22,798 people |
Related languages
Pahari interpreters near you
Pahari-speaking families live wherever British Kashmiris settled from the 1950s onwards. Besides Birmingham and Bradford, there are large communities in London, Manchester, Leeds and Luton and the towns around them, and we can send an interpreter to any of them or join an appointment by telephone or video.
Pahari interpreter and translator FAQs
How quickly can I book a Pahari interpreter?
We take bookings 24 hours a day, every day of the year. Telephone and video interpreting are usually the quickest to arrange. For a face-to-face appointment, give us as much notice as you can: same-day cover is often possible, but it depends on where you are and how many Pahari interpreters work nearby.
How much does a Pahari interpreter cost?
The price depends on the type of interpreting (face-to-face, telephone or video), how long the appointment lasts, where it is and how much notice you give. We quote before anything is booked, and quotes are free: call 0800 2425 125 or use our online quote form.
Can you certify Pahari translations for a UK visa or immigration application?
Yes. We translate and certify documents such as birth and marriage certificates, passports and police certificates for visa, settlement and citizenship applications. UK Visas and Immigration asks for each translation to confirm that it is accurate and to show the date and the translator's full name, signature and contact details, so tell us when you order that the document is for an immigration application.
Do you provide Pahari interpreters for courts, tribunals and police interviews?
Yes. Tell us the setting when you book, for example a Crown Court trial, an immigration tribunal hearing or a police interview under caution, so we can match a Pahari interpreter with the right legal experience and qualifications.
How many people speak Pahari in the UK?
At the 2021 Census, 22,798 usual residents of England and Wales aged three or over gave Pakistani Pahari (a census category that includes Mirpuri and Potwari) as their main language. The local authorities with the most were Birmingham (9,446 people), Bradford (1,429) and Rochdale (1,384). The census asked for each person's main language, so people who speak Pahari at home but gave English as their main language are not in that figure. Scotland and Northern Ireland count languages in their own censuses.
