PESHAWAR, Oct 24: Acclaimed comedy star Iftikhar Qaiser kept the past tradition alive and proved a show stealer at the regional awards ceremony of the Pakistan Television Corporation held here on Saturday night.

The performer through a skit showcased galloping price hike and lawlessness in a way that brought smiles on the wooden-faced Peshawarites who had been in the habit of watching the scenes of bomb attacks and suicide blasts on their television sets.

The performance of the maestro at the event held in the open air was perhaps the best in the two-hour proceedings that brought joy to the people, who received it with cheerful laughter. Iftikhar Qaiser's famous dramatic monologue ' Ab Main Bolon Ke Na Bolon' (should I speak or not) elicited tremendous response.

The PTV Peshawar Centre had arranged the colorful regional awards show in which best artists, singers, music composers, playwrights, poets, anchor-persons, technicians and producers were given awards for their praiseworthy performances during the year 2009.

Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah and Khalida Yasmin received the best actor and actress awards respectively.The 16th Excellence regional awards show was staged amid tight security. The excellence awards were given in 25 different categories. Provincial ministers Mian Iftikhar Hussain, Syed Aqil Shah and Sitara Ayaz also attended the function.

Speaking on the occasion, Information Minister Mian Iftikhar said that militants could not weaken his courage despite the fact that they had killed his only son some time ago, adding that his government would continue fighting terrorism and extremism.

“I salute the PTV, Peshawar Centre for organising such a wonderful mega show in which a large number of people is participating,” he said. He said terrorists could not defeat us as Pakistan, democracy, army and Pakhtuns were stronger than before.

He suggested that the PTV management should arrange more such shows for public entertainment maintaining that being a family channel it was airing quality programmes reaching out to a large section of urban and rural population.

Minister for Sports and Culture Syed Aqil Shah said that efforts were under way to revive cultural activities in the province. A weekly cultural event would take place in Nishtar Hall, the lone theatre of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, he said.

He called upon the artistes and writers to play their due role for reviving the vibrant culture and heritage of the province. “Militants will never succeed in their nefarious designs to suppress our golden traditions and rich culture. Different steps are being taken to arrange various cultural programmes at district level, where local artistes, playwrights, singers and poets will be encouraged to participate,” he added.

Senior TV actor Syed Mumtaz Ali Shah, playwright Noorul Bashar Naveed, Prof Khalid Suhail, Prof Abaseen Yousafzai, Mohammad Islam Armani, Iftikhar Qaiser, Khalida Yasmin, Ali Haider, Zek Afridi and Farmanullah Jan were among the recipients of the excellence awards.

Singers Salma Naz, Noor Jahan, Shabnam, Zeek Afridi, Sajjad Toru, Tariq Hazarvi and Sitara Younas presented their famous numbers at the event. A group comprising young boys presented famous Pashto dance ' Atanh' with traditional music.

The show was intermittently disturbed by technical errors that haunted the audience, but still the event proved a successful one. Director programmes of PTV Amjad Bukhari thanked the participants at the end.