Actor, presenter Syed Rizwan Wasti dies

The 74-year-old artist passed away after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

KARACHI: Television and film actor and presenter Syed Rizwan Wasti, 74, passed away on Monday after suffering a brain haemorrhage.

Wasti did his Bachelor’s of Law from SM Law College but he chose a career in radio as an English newscaster.

He entered the broadcast media at the age of sixteen, making made him the youngest newscaster of the sub-continent.

After serving Radio Pakistan for sixteen years, he joined the National Bank of Pakistan and took retirement as vice president of the bank in 1996.

In his acting career, he played his first role as Judge Akhtar Husain in a Pakistan Television soap Shama. Wasti played different roles in more than 200 plays including Afshan, Shaheen, Khuda ki Basti and Tabeer. He also worked in a movie named “Insaf our Qanoon” with Mohammad Ali and Zeba.

His son, Adnan Wasti, said his father had also written two books. He wrote a book titled “Sher Shah Suri” on the Afghan general and also wrote his own book of poems, “A chorus of echoes”.

Wasti was laid to rest at the Gizri graveyard, DHA and he is survived by his wife and three children. The soyem will take place at his Khayaban-e-Shujaat residence.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 26^th, 2011.