Shahmukhi (Gurmukhi: ਸ਼ਾਹਮਖੀ, literally "from the King's mouth") is a local variant of the Perso-Arabic script. Both of the scripts of Iranian and Arabic roots were amalgamated and invented by Ameer Ali Tabrezi in Tabrez to be used as the standard characters to write the Persian language.
Shahmukhi script was first used by the the sufi poets of Punjab and became the official writing style for west Punjab after creation of Pakistan. However, in the East Punjab India, the Gurmukhi script is used by all people (Sikhs especially) to record the Punjabi language.
The Shahmukhi text is written in the right to left direction and from right page to left page; but Gurmukhi is written from left to right. The Shahmukhi and Gurmukhi script are both used to write the spoken Punjabi language most effectively and both scripts are commonly used for this purpose.
- See Wikipedia article on Shahmukhi for more information