LARKANA: Radio Pakistan, Larkana, has named two studios after Abida Parveen and Kishanchand Baiwas in recognition of their unparalleled services in the fields of music and literature, respectively.

Larkana Mayor Anwar Ali Nawaz Luhar on Thursday cut the ribbons to open the studios along with Station Director Abid Abbas Kazmi and renowned writer Rizwan Gul, principal of Government Arts and Commerce College.

The mayor appreciated the Radio Pakistan Larkana’s decision and called for putting in more effort to improve radio programmes, portraying different aspects of life.

He regretted that lack of coordination among different government departments had negatively impacted the province’s progress and assured the radio managers of all assistance and coordination in creating awareness among masses and sensitising them to the issues vital to their existence as well as dignity.

He said the two legends hailing from Larkana had made tremendous contributions to their respective fields and underlined the need for owning the institutions.

He said that Larkana Municipal Corporation was a huge organisation tasked with looking after the needs of 2.7 million population, and urged general public to help him turn Larkana into a green city.

He lamented that the corporation planted trees and saplings but unfortunately people did not care for them and uprooted them which was quite discouraging. The effects of climate change demanded planting more trees, he said.

Rizwan Gul threw light on the role and unparalleled contribution of the living legend Abida Parveen to music and particularly Sufi songs while unmatched contribution of intellectual, writer and poet Kishanchand Baiwas needed no words to describe.

Abid Abbas Kazmi, station director, disclosed that Larkana had now received a new FM transmitter of 1 kilowatt, which had been installed and started transmission as the old one had grown so weaker that it could hardly relay soundwaves within a few kilometres radius but the new transmitter would cover 60-kilometre radius.

Not only this but another two kilowatt transmitter known as ‘Soutul Quran’ was in the process of installation and hopefully it would also be put on air within a couple of days, he said.

However, he said, the state of the medium wave transmitter still remained unchanged which badly required upgradation and replacement so that programmes could reach the listeners.

The PBC Larkana was inaugurated by former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto and it ran into snags after her assassination. The mayor was briefed that recently on one of the floors of PBC Larkana building, FIA office had been established which he said was an unwelcome step.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2024