HYDERABAD, Sept 2: Radio presenter and PTV anchor Syed Saleh Mohammad Shah, known to his rural audience as Fateh Khan for his popular programme “Fateh Khan ji Katchery”, died here late on Saturday night due to cardiac arrest. He was 70.

He has left behind his wife, five daughters and five sons.

He was buried in Sakhi Shah Mohammad graveyard near Hatri on Sunday. His funeral was attended by family members, relatives, friends and a large number of admirers.

He felt serious pain in the chest after he came from Radio Pakistan office having done his last episode of Fateh Khan ji Katchery, and was moved to the Civil Hospital where he was pronounced dead by doctors.

Born on Sept 3, 1937 in the Dara Baig Mughal village off National Highway he shot to fame 20 years later with Fateh Khan ji Katchery from Radio Pakistan Hyderabad, which continued uninterrupted for close to half a century.

He was perhaps the only Radio artist who had a programme named after him. A recipient of pride of performance award, Syed Saleh Mohammad Shah, was a devotee of great mystic poet, Shah Abdul Latif Bhittai.

He had recorded Bhittai’s poetry in his own voice and had complete command over recitation of the great Sufi’s poetry.

He also appeared on silver screen as an actor in a Sindhi film, Rang Mahal, and many Sindhi TV and Radio plays.

He remained associated with PTV for around three decades and his TV programme Autaq was also popular among people of rural areas.

He was a great admirer of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and his programme once came under more than a year’s ban during Ziaul Haq’s regime when he raised slogan of ‘Jeay Bhutto’ in an episode of Autaq on Pakistan Television.