PESHAWAR, June 30: Local artistes have criticized the ban on their entry to the PTV Peshawar Centre and have asked the authorities to lift the ban forthwith.

Talking to Dawn, several senior artistes, said that the PTV administration had banned their entry to the centre, which had hit them hard.

"Many of the artistes, who are totally dependent on the PTV for their survival, visit the centre to meet the producers, discuss scripts with them and do rehearsals, but the authorities concerned have banned their entry, which had hit them professionally", said senior artistes.

According to them, they were now required to get passes from the producers for their entry into the centre, which were not easily forthcoming. An artiste said that the general manager come to action as soon as the artistes enter the premises of the centre.

A popular comedian said he was weighing options to quit working at the Peshawar Centre, because it was humiliating for him to be stopped at the gate. He lamented that he had to return home when disallowed by the gate-keeper.

General Manager of the PTV, Peshawar Centre, Mujahid Bin Syed Gilani, told Dawn that the ban had been imposed in all five centres in the country due to the sensitive nature of the PTV. Peshawar, he said, happens to be more sensitive than other centres.

He said that the artistes would not be stopped at the gate provided they seek proper permission for the entry. All the artistes, he said are required to inform the relevant officials at the centre before their arrival and they would be welcomed if the purpose of their entry is genuine.