A book launching ceremony held by South Asian Free Media Association (SAFMA) on Wednesday proved to be a galaxy of veteran media persons who thoroughly worked and rendered meritorious services in mass media.
However, not a single PTV official attended the launch ‘This is PTV: Another Day, Another World’ authored by Agha Nasir. First book in English written by Agha Nasir is a publication of PTV, comprising 250 pages with a tag price of Rs 500 having seven chapters shedding light on development phases of PTV during different regimes and how the organization is passing through the evolution process. Information Minister Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan has written the preface of the book while AMS Ahmed is the author of its foreword.
Ashfaq Salim Mirza, Afzal Khan, Nusrat Javed, Iftikhar Arif, Ziauddin, Mustansar Javed and others spoke on the occasion while Agha Nasir also highlighted the purpose of writing this collection. Speakers while addressing on the occasion said that media houses were occupied and exploited in almost all dictatorial as well as democratic rules as every ruler tried to use PTV- the only state run television for his own projection and political projection and gains.
Senior journalist Afzal Khan analysed the role of PTV in various regimes from its initial phase to modern age.
“Prime Minister Junejo was perhaps the first PM who liberated PTV in its real essence and gave freedom of expression to it. Later on, Benazir Bhutto and Nawaz Sharif promulgated their manifestos under which PTV was supposed to be given full-fledged freedom but they utilised it for their own projection,” he said. Khan said there was no doubt that media played a significant role in making or breaking anything and that was why President Ayub exploited it against Fatima Jinnah during his election campaign, while the later rulers although said, ‘Don’t project us too much’, but they did the same.
Nusrat Javed, another veteran journalist, said the PTV dramas had to struggle in dictatorial rule as the scripts were changed and people engaged in the process faced consequences, like transfer and posting. “But for a dedicated, committed person, nothing can stop his voice,” he said.
Javed, while questioning the freedom of media in modern days, said “Even in modern age, being a host of a programme in a private channel, I came to know how much modern media is free as he received threats after every 30 minutes,” he said, adding that Agha Nasir was a role model to raise voice in any political era.
Iftikhar Arif, a writer and a senior broadcaster, highlighted the different phases of PTV of its evolution. “Agha Nasir who worked for Radio Pakistan, transferred his expertise to PTV and that was the biggest benefit for the PTV because he transmitted the talent of that age,” Arif said.
“This book is a landmark in the history of PTV as well as in Pakistan because not often we came to know that a book is written in context of a national organisation,” he observed.
“Under this roof, no one from PTV is seen that shows how the officials of PTV are linked with literature,” Arif said sarcastically. Arif also demanded the authorities concerned to check why the PTV’s viewer ship rating had declined over the years so drastically. “It is good omens that people like Agha Nasir are amongst us to promote and preserve PTV, otherwise many of veterans are gone without doing it, we should acknowledge Agha’s services. The author said the core objective of writing the book was to preserve the memories as well as to returning what he owed to the PTV.
