PESHAWAR, Aug 29: District Nazim, Mohammad Azam Khan Afridi, has expressed concern over the treatment meted out to PTV’s artists in the society and has urged the people to pay the respect they deserved for the entertainment they provided through their art.

Mr Afridi was speaking at an informal dinner arranged by the Iqra University in the honour of the local artists at the varsity’s campus on Wednesday night.  He lamented that the artists community looked for help of the people in the society. He said the city government would extend every support to the artists.

Senior artist, Prof Ziaul Qamar, speaking behalf of the PTV artists,  said the artists themselves were responsible for their helplessness because they spent their earnings in a lavish manner.

The people would not pay you respect until you respect yourselves and your community, said Mr Qamar, adding that he had left PTV because of the deteriorating state of affairs there. He said the claim by the artists that they had served the community and they should be helped financially in time of need, was misplaced.

However, he emphasised the need on the part of the artists to behave like polite community and provide positive entertainment to the viewers.

General Manager of the PTV, Tariq Saeed thanked the Iqra’s management.