Agha Nasir (February 9, 1937 – July 12, 2016) born in

Meerut Meerut (, IAST: ''Meraṭh'') is a city in Meerut district of the western part of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. The city lies northeast of the national capital New Delhi, within the National Capital Region and west of the state capital ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, was a Pakistani director, producer, broadcaster and a TV playwright. He started his career at

Radio Pakistan Radio Pakistan serves as the national public broadcaster for radio in Pakistan. Although some local stations predate Radio Pakistan's founding, it is the oldest existing broadcasting network in Pakistan. The network was established on 14 Augus ...

in 1955. He later directed TV films and worked in the

Pakistani television Television in Pakistan started in 1964 and the first live transmission of Pakistan Television began on 26 November 1964, in Lahore.Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...

, as a 'living encyclopedia' of the broadcasting history in Pakistan.

Career

Agha Nasir graduated from the

University of Karachi The University of Karachi ( sd, ; informally Karachi University, KU, or UoK) is a public research university located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. Established in June 1951 by an act of Parliament and as a successor to the University of Sindh (wh ...

. He was a well-known radio writer, broadcaster and producer before Pakistan Television was launched from

Lahore Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is the capital of the province of Punjab where it is the largest city ...

in 1964. He was one of the people who developed the logo of the

Pakistan Television Corporation Pakistan Television Corporation ( ur, ; reporting name: PTV) is the Pakistani state-owned broadcaster. Pakistan entered the television broadcasting age in 1964, with a pilot television station established at Lahore. Background Historical co ...

(PTV). He was a member of the pioneering team of people that first introduced television in Pakistan. This team was headed by

Ubaidur Rahman Ubaidur Rahman (Urdu: عبيد رحمان); was a Pakistani electrical engineer and broadcaster who is credited as one of the founders of Pakistan Television (PTV) — the state-owned public and commercial broadcasting television network. In add ...

(first General Manager) and 'the dynamic'

Aslam Azhar Aslam Azhar ( ur, ; 2 September 1932 – 29 December 2015) was a Pakistan Television executive, considered to be the "father of Pakistan Television".

(first Managing Director) of PTV Lahore Center.A tribute to PTV broadcaster Agha Nasir
Dawn (newspaper), Published 13 July 2016, Retrieved 30 November 2018 Agha Nasir produced the popular TV serials ''Girah'' and ''Pani Peh Naam'' and directed the PTV drama '' Taleem-e-Balighan''. He guided Pakistan Television through its early days and then helped build it into a national institution. He was promoted many times during his career at Pakistan Television from a playwright to a programmes producer and director, a General Manager and then a Managing Director at

at its

Center. He also served as a director general of

Pakistan National Council of the Arts Pakistan National Council of the Arts ( ur, , or PNCA) was set up to spearhead the development of arts in Pakistan by an Act of Parliament in 1973. It aims to build a robust arts ecosystem by creating an environment conducive to the flourishi ...

(PNCA).

Books

*Gumshuda Log (People we have lost) *Gulshan-i-Yaad (The Garden of Memory) *Hum Jeetay Ji Masroof Rahey (We stayed busy as long as we lived) *This is PTV - Another Day, Another World *Agha sey Agha Nasir tak (Autobiography)

Awards and recognition

* President's Pride of Performance Award in 1993. *

Sitara-i-Imtiaz The Sitara-e-Imtiaz () also spelled as Sitara-i-Imtiaz, is the third-highest (in the order of "Imtiaz") honour and civilian award in the State of Pakistan. It recognizes individuals who have made an "especially meritorious contribution to the ...

Award (Star of Excellence) by the President of Pakistan in 2012.

Death and legacy

Prime Minister

Muhammad Nawaz Sharif Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif (Urdu, Punjabi: ; born 25 December 1949) is a Pakistani businessman and politician who has served as the Prime Minister of Pakistan for three non-consecutive terms. He is the longest-serving prime minister of Paki ...

expressed grief over his death on 12 July 2016 in

Islamabad Islamabad (; ur, , ) is the capital city of Pakistan. It is the country's ninth-most populous city, with a population of over 1.2 million people, and is federally administered by the Pakistani government as part of the Islamabad Capital ...

. Agha Nasir leaves behind his wife Safia Agha, son Agha Bilal and two daughters- Huma and Shumaila. A major Pakistani English-language newspaper commented after his death, "He played a pivotal, pioneering role in establishment and development of PTV as a national institution; in fact, the two were inseparable."

References

1937 births 2016 deaths Pakistani dramatists and playwrights Urdu-language television shows Recipients of the Pride of Performance Recipients of Sitara-i-Imtiaz Pakistani radio personalities Pakistan Television Corporation executives Muhajir people University of Karachi alumni {{Pakistan-tv-bio-stub