Founding Father of PTV Aslam Azhar passes away

Mr Azhar is credited with setting up PTV in 1964 and under his tutelage and control as chairman and managing director it aired programming that came to be widely acclaimed as vibrant and relevant to it’s time.

A committed socialist, Mr Azhar was deeply interested in theatre as well and that his how he met his wife Nasreen Jan. He sought to use the visual medium to highlight some of the many pressing challenges that a fledgling Pakistan was facing during that era.

Tributes and accolades pored in as news of his death was announced — initially on social media. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Information Minister Pervez Rashid (whose ministry controls PTV) expressed their condolences at Mr Azhar’s death as did the current MD of PTV Mohammad Malick. Many people commented on his passing on social media as well with several saying that Pakistan was poorer by the loss of such an intelligent, creative and progressive individual.