Cricket icon Wasim Akram sent a tweet on Sept 15 congratulating Pakistani boxing champion Mohammad Waseem and asking all citizens to treat the nation’s heroes better. He lamented the fact that the pugilist’s victory and arrival back home went unnoticed in the country.

This country has a habit of overlooking and ignoring its national heroes and artists until they are no more. Many iconic artists have died after spending their last days in pitiable conditions.

Two years ago, Nusrat Ara --famous for her character Bill Batori in popular children’s comedy series Ainak Wala Jinn-- was begging for three years at Lahore’s Data Darbar. After a hue and cry, she was rescued and taken to hospital for treatment of respiratory ailments where she died. In Sindh several artists have died penniless after receiving no help worth the name from the culture department.

It seems we wait for our iconic artists to die before acknowledging their talent.

Civil society, the government and media should acknowledge and provide for all national performers in their life time.

Riaz Mahar
Sukkur

Published in Dawn, September 22nd, 2019

Opinion

Editorial

Judiciary’s SOS
Updated 28 Mar, 2024

Judiciary’s SOS

The ball is now in CJP Isa’s court, and he will feel pressure to take action.
Data protection
28 Mar, 2024

Data protection

WHAT do we want? Data protection laws. When do we want them? Immediately. Without delay, if we are to prevent ...
Selling humans
28 Mar, 2024

Selling humans

HUMAN traders feed off economic distress; they peddle promises of a better life to the impoverished who, mired in...
New terror wave
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

New terror wave

The time has come for decisive government action against militancy.
Development costs
27 Mar, 2024

Development costs

A HEFTY escalation of 30pc in the cost of ongoing federal development schemes is one of the many decisions where the...
Aitchison controversy
Updated 27 Mar, 2024

Aitchison controversy

It is hoped that higher authorities realise that politics and nepotism have no place in schools.