HYDERABAD: Artists and their supporters and admirers staged a demonstration outside local press club on Friday in protest against proposed sale of Radio Pakistan Hyderabad’s land.

Activists of Bhitai Art Council and Sindh Sughar Lok Adab Tanzeem Rafiq Essani, Aajiz Rehmatullah Lashari, Zulfikar Hisbani Shahnaz Baloch and others, who led the protest, said that a province-wide movement would be launched if attempts were made to sell historic Radio Pakistan or any of its assets.

They said that station director of Radio Pakistan had buckled under pressure from central management and declared Saleh Mohammad Shah lawn, Rubina Qureshi auditorium and stations of Detha and Matiari as unused properties to pave the way for their sale.

They termed it condemnable and warned if anyone tried to tinker with Radio Pakistan, they would launch a strong movement against such action. This station was heart of artists and sughars (folk sages) but rulers wanted to destroy it to serve their vested interests, they said, under this plan, assets of Radio Pakistan were to be auctioned.

They demanded an end to attempts at getting Sindhi programmes closed.

They said that Radio Pakistan Hyderabad represented entire Sindh as this station had produced legendary figures like Mustafa Qureshi, Abida Parveen, Rubina Qureshi, Mai Bhagi, Mohammad Jumman, Ustad Yusuf, Jiji Zarina Baloch, Anwar Solangi and others in the fields of music, film and television.

These artists had in fact become identity of Sindh and Pakistan, still present administration of Radio Pakistan was bent on destroying this institution, they said.

Published in Dawn, October 30th, 2021