PESHAWAR: Septuagenarian radio and TV artist Shakil Arshad has complained that the Peshawar radio authorities have restricted his voice from going on air for the last 20 days.

The noted radio artist has been hosting a popular show on Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation Peshawar for the last more than 50 years.

He enjoys a widespread circle of audience across the province for his magic voice quality and mastery over variety of contents.

Mr Arshad said that criteria for a radio compere included voice quality, voice accent and voice age and nowhere physical age was mentioned. He said that he had kept intact those perquisites as his fans comprised numerous teenagers. He has hosted over 400 popular radio and TV Urdu, Hindko and Pashto stage shows.

The artist told this scribe that more than two weeks ago, a radio official verbally conveyed to him that he would be off air in the light of an order from PBC, Headquarters, Islamabad without assigning any reason.

A copy of the said order available with this scribe issued on November 18, 2018 from PBC programme wing says: “With the approval of the worthy director general it has been decided that no person beyond the ages of 60 years should be offered any booking as compere/announcer by any unit/station as per the superannuation policy.

However, they may be offered bookings as experts, analysts, script writers, talkers, drama voices, narrators etc only on as and when required basis.”

Mr Arshad said that it was a bolt from the blue for him and his family because he had fixed mid-December as marriage date of his fourth daughter.

Senior columnist and former programme manager at Peshawar radio Mushtaq Shabab, when asked, said that Shakil Arshad had several qualities and had served in more than one capacity. He said such a talent should not be wasted as he could be hired as senior trainer, panel operator, drama artist and singer.

Published in Dawn, December 11th, 2018