PESHAWAR, March 13: Many radio artistes were awarded shields for their outstanding performance at a ceremony held at Sahibzada Abdul Qayyum Auditorium of Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation here on Tuesday evening.
Many artistes including writers, producers, singers and newscasters received awards amid thunderous applaud from the jampacked hall. The winners who included artistes from Peshawar, Dera Ismail Khan, Chitral and Abbottabad, got PBC excellence awards for their performance for the year 2001.
Shazia Yusuf of Abbottabad Centre was adjudged best Naatkhwan, while Mohammad Aslam and Rehana Yasmin of Peshawar got the first prize for male and female announcers respectively.
The award for male compere was grabbed by Alaudin Chitrali of Peshawar Centre, while in female category Shaista Farrukh of the same centre got the first award.
The award for best male and female actor went to Syed Shaheen Shah of Peshawar Centre and Rehana Parveen of Dera Ismail Khan Centre.
Similarly, Shafqat Ali Khan of Peshawar received first prize for classical music, whereas D.I. Khan-based Rustam Sipahi was declared best singer in light music category. The award for light music singer (female) went to Shabnam. Laiq Zada Laiq of Peshawar Centre got the prize for best music producer while the former station director Nisar Mohammad Khan got the prize for best drama writer.
Other awards’ recipients included Syeda Iffat Jabbar, producer magazine programme; Fayyaz Baloch (D.I. Khan), producer documentary; Amir Nawaz Khan Marwat (Peshawar), producer current affairs; Lutufur Rehman Chitrali (Peshawar), news reader; Lutufur Rehman, news editor; Alamgir Khalil (Peshawar), broadcast engineer; Dr Noorul Basar (Peshawar), producer religious programmes; Hidayatullah Hamdard (Peshawar), producer special audience programme; Zahir Shah Afridi (Peshawar), producer drama and special award for best announcer went to Saiqa Nausheen of Abbottabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Federal Minister for Information and Media Development Nisar Memon expressed his pleasure over distribution of awards among artistes and said that the artistes needed more appreciation and awards along with rewards.
He said the artistes portrayed regional and national culture and tradition through their performance in the country and abroad. The artistes, he said, infused new zeal in the people through their songs and performances.
Mr Memon said that most of the people in remote areas were dependent on radio for their entertainment and information. The performers at the radio were doing their national duty and they should be accorded much respect.
Besides, local comedians Said Rehman Sheeno and Ismail Shahid and singers Gulrez Tabbassum and Kiran Tanoli also performed on the occasion and were well-received by the audience.
Ustad Hamid Ali Khan who had specially come from Lahore impressed the audience with his performance. The function was broadcast live from Peshawar and relayed from D.I. Khan, Chitral and Abbottabad stations simultaneously.