PESHAWAR: The federal government has approved Rs140 million to repair the Radio Pakistan building and studios damaged by a mob on May 9 2023, said station director Tufail Ahmad on Friday.

“The repairs will begin soon and will be completed in three to four months,” he told Dawn. Mr Ahmad said the mob attack caused “huge” damage to the building and destroyed four vehicles but staff members kept working diligently.

He said workers restored radio transmission within 25 hours of the mob attack and broadcasted programmes despite difficult times.

“Our senior staff members kept working in the torched studios and offices even in the extreme hot conditions,” he said.

The station director said the number of radio listeners had increased over the years. He added that the radio station planned programmes in light of the listeners’ demands and committed to promoting the “spirit of peace, national unity and cultural exclusivity.”

Deputy controller of the radio station Abdul Hameed Baloch said the megawatt frequency of the radio station covered the entire province up to the areas bordering Afghanistan, broadcasting dramas, music programmes, and talk shows on social issues, agriculture, youth, women, and current affairs.

Senior producer Sardar Azam Khan said the number of programmes in Pashto and other regional languages hadn’t been curtailed. “We launched four very interesting programmes in Pashto around three months ago,” he said.

Mr Khan said the radio station was broadcasting news and other programmes in Pashto in particular and in Urdu, Chitrali (Khowar), Kohistani, Hindko and Gujri languages in general to promote linguistic and cultural diversity alongside the cause of national unity.

Ikramullah Marwat, another senior producer, said four new Pashto shows, including Hujra, the oldest show with a new pattern, were broadcast to promote Pakhtun culture.

He said participants of those programmes discussed social issues.

The producer said ‘From the Campus’ was a show organised in a university to educate students on how to use a microphone with confidence and responsibility, while young, emerging artists and folk singers were invited to perform in the Khyber Beats programme.

He added that the literary figures and intellectuals participated in the Radio Podcast to express their views on a wide range of issues.

“After renovation, the Radio [Pakistan building] Peshawar will scale up to new heights of success and increase its reach through lively programmes,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2024