RADIO Pakistan has produced several legendary newscasters. Prominent among them are Shakeel Ahmed, Anwar Behzad, Shamim Ijaz, Surriya Shahab, Khalid Hameed, Hameed Akhtar, Arjumand Shaheen (Sitara-e-Imtiaz) and Mahpara Safdar in Urdu, and Anita Ghulam Ali, Edward Carrapiett, Shaista Zaid and Riaz Ahmed Khan in English. Till early this year, only two legends of this generation, i.e. Shaista Zaid and Riaz Ahmed Khan, were attached with the broadcasting world while all others stood expired or retired. However, in February last year, Riaz Ahmed Khan also expired sending a wave of shock and grief to his colleagues.

Born on April 16, 1937, Riaz joined Central News Organisation (currently PBC News) as an English newsreader in December 1970 and superannuated in the same capacity in April 1997. However, it was his passion for news reading that he kept on reading PBC news bulletins even after retirement till his confinement to bed in November 2010.

When I joined PBC on Nov 16, 1974 as a daily wager, Riaz was among the few seniors who greatly encouraged me. Those days, he would call me a “young boy”. Despite my transfer to the Central Monitoring Wing of the PBC in 1979, I used to listen to “The news read by Riaz Ahmed Khan” because of his excellent command over the English language and its intonation. He had attained faultless pronunciation, a unique style of delivery of words, correct stresses and pauses, brilliant news sense and the required confidence to meet the emerging situation. Besides PBC, Riaz offered his services to many government organisations as a background voice. These included some defence organisations, Inter–Services Public Relations (documentaries for Kashmir Cell), Pakistan Television (commentary background and coaching of English newscasters), presidency 23rd March prestigious investiture ceremonies, and many other private organisations.

On my transfer back to PBC News in 2004, Riaz was the first to welcome me but this time I was no longer a “young man” but a “prince” for him. He frequently lauded what I had gained and appreciate d my style of editing. He never altered the words in news bulletins until and unless he consulted the editor concerned. He used to repeatedly rehearse news bulletins.

Riaz was a great human being also. He would frequently host Iftari and feasts in office (a colleague told me that Riaz himself cooked the same). He was loved and respected by all.

Even after he had developed some heart trouble, he kept coming to the office for the news daily till November 2010. On Feb 27, 2011, he breathed his last.

May Almighty Allah rest his soul in eternal peace, Aameen.

MAHMOOD RIAZUDDIN Deputy Controller News Radio Pakistan, Islamabad