PESHAWAR, March 7: The Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation, Peshawar Centre, celebrated the 70th anniversary of its foundation here on Monday.

Different programmes were aired to mark the occasion, including messages of NWFP Governor Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah and founder Station Director Aslam Khattak and interviews of prominent poets, writers and senior artistes from morning till late night.

Talking to reporters, station director Ghulam Abbas said that Radio Pakistan, Peshawar, would further improve its production quality and in this connection the paper work for establishing a production unit in the PBC, Peshawar, would soon be completed. "I firmly believe that Radio Pakistan, Peshawar Centre, still stands out prominently in broadcasting various programmes."

He said the Peshawar Radio Studio had produced many eminent artistes, poets, writers and had helped spread the Frontier people's cultural and social life. Mr Aslam Khattak in his telephonic message from Islamabad said that a former British Governor to the Frontier province had written a letter to the British Government, asking it to install a radio station in Peshawar to counter the Russian propaganda.

"I was lucky to have been appointed the in-charge at that time of the All India, Radio, Peshawar, in 1935 which was properly commissioned in 1936 and the system was housed in two rooms in which we used to do everything."