The passing of Aslam Azhar

In the passing of Aslam Azhar, Pakistan has lost an icon who truly belonged to its hall of fame. With a degree in law from Cambridge, he should have been expected to be raising hackles in courtrooms as an attorney, but he charted an entirely different career path for himself, one that was to etch his name in history as the pioneer of public broadcasting in the country. A man of culture and creativity, Mr Azhar probably felt ill at ease working in the multinational company where he landed his first job. This goes to explain why his stay there was brief and departure sudden. Fortunately for this country, it was destined that he was to pursue a calling he was actually cut out for. Before he raised the foundation of Pakistan Television (PTV) in the mid-1960s, he had already made his name in acting, radio broadcasting and theatre productions.

Mr Azhar was also among the co-founders of the famous Karachi Arts Theatre Society that used to stage plays at the city’s historic Theosophical Hall. The Dastak theatre group was another platform he created through which he showcased his creative genius in the days of military dictator General Ziaul Haq. Adding one more feather to his cap was his voice-over artistry. It was his recitation in his deep, melodious, made-for-theatre-radio-and-television voice, which captivated audiences across the spectrum, as the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan aptly noted in a condolence statement. But Mr Azhar’s principal achievement remained the setting up of PTV and turning it into the premier national institution, which became an integral part of Pakistani national life, and made a significant contribution to the development of Pakistani nationhood. Doing so was by no means an easy task as Mr Azhar had to oversee all aspects of conceptualising and producing the then-live telecasts. Men of his calibre, professional worth and integrity are hard to find in this day and age, and he will be sorely missed by a nation that is fast running out of gems like Aslam Azhar.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 2^nd, 2016.

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