PESHAWAR, May 16 (APP): Unbridled miscreants in their frenzy for destroying both private and public property on May 10, deprived millions of listeners of the rare Pashto and Urdu songs of the renowned musicians and singers, along with handwritten drama scripts authored by famous writers by torching the historic building of Radio Pakistan in the provincial metropolis.
The violent mob during their attack on the national broadcaster did not care for the precious national assets, including the music disks containing the famous Pashto and Urdu songs sung by Ghazal mestro Ahmad Khan, Khyal Muhammad, Mashooq Sultan and Rafique Shinwari which were burnt to ashes, said Habibun Nabi, Programme Manager of Radio Pakistan Peshawar on Tuesday.
Similarly, he said, the original handwritten scripts of Pashto and Urdu dramas authored by famous writers Hamaza Khan Shinwari, Dr Muhammad Azam Azam, Younas Qayasi, Arbab Abdul Wakeel, Hamayun Huma, Sahir Afridi, Begium AR Daud, Zaitoon Bannu and Syed Rasool Rasa were destroyed by the rioters.
The scripts of hundreds of rare dramas along with catalogs and books on different topics were turned into ash now scattered all around the building as the miscreants burnt the central library located on the third floor, he added.
Around 1500-2000 historic books, which were torched, also included the masterpiece literary works of renowned Sufi Poet Rehman Baba and freedom fighter Khushal Khan Khattak, Habibun Nabi said.
He said the rare pictures of known broadcasters Abdul Jan Magmoom and Aftab Ahmed, who had read the news of Pakistan’s independence at midnight of August 13-14, 1947 in Pashto and Urdu, and Qari Muhammad, who recited the Holy Quran, were also no more.
Similarly, the pictures of Ghazal mestros and drama writers including Hamaza Khan Shinwari, Ajmal Khattak, Khatar Gaznvai, Samandar Khan Samandar, Qalandar Mohmand, Mumtaz Ali Shah, Shahzad Khan Johar and Abdullah Jan Magmom alias Marchakay while performing, were also set ablaze, he added.
Radio Pakistan had started its transmission from a room at the Civil Secretariat Peshawar in 1935 after the first radio transmitter gifted by Radio inventor Markoni to Sir Shabzada Abdul Qayyum Khan during the latter’s visit to London, was installed here.
Later, Radio Pakistan was shifted to the old Radio Pakistan’s building (now the Supreme Court’s Registry) on the Khyber Road in 1942. It was finally shifted to the existing building in 1985 which was inaugurated by the then president General Zaiul Haq.
Programme Manager Tufail Muhammad said the historic performance pictures of great Pashto singers, Ahmad Khan, Pride of Performance winner Mashooq Sultan, musician/singer Rafique Shinwari, Pride of Performance winner Khayal Muhammad and Fazl Rabi were also burnt to ashes by the mob, who had no regard for the culture and humanity.
Besides dramas and literary works, he said rare feature documentaries on national and international issues besides human interest stories, religious books and national songs that were converted from conventional taps to computers for digitalizations were also severely damaged.
He said after the attack, the Radio Pakistan Peshawar’s transmissions were resumed from four transmission lines including 1260 Khz, 24 hours from FM 101, Soratul Quran and News- Current Affairs within few hours on emergency basis and was smoothly continued providing quality entertainment, information and education services.
“Radio Pakistan is the custodian of our cultural heritage. Attack on this historic building was tantamount to an assault on our national heritage, culture, dramas and music,” said Ghazal maestro and Pride of Performance winner, Khyal Muhammad told APP.
Khyal Muhammad, who have been associated with Radio Pakistan for several decades, said resuming the transmissions of Radio Pakistan Peshawar within hours after the attack showed the hard work, dedication and professional commitment of its staff, which conveyed a strong message to the miscreants that the national broadcaster’s voice could not be silenced through such terror incidents.
Amin Mashall, a newscaster in a private TV channel and who is also associated with Radio Pakistan Peshawar since 2012, said the attack on Radio Pakistan Peshawar and APP office was an attempt to silence the media and deprive the people of information.
He said ransacking and burning of the vehicles of Radio Pakistan and APP employees was an attempt to terrorize journalists and stop them from performing their professional duties.
He said the Radio Pakistan’s building was set on fire during PTI’s workers protest demonstrations and it was unfortunate that not a single leader of that party hadeven visited the national broadcaster to express sympathies with its employees.
He said Radio Pakistan was the voice of the nation and demanded for its immediate reconstruction in its original shape.
Tufail Khan said the disks containing pre-Partition Pashto and Urdu songs of 1901-1947 were saved, but those of digitalized songs were destroyed due to burning of computers.
Similarly, the voice record disks of the religious scholars including Maulana Saeeduddin Sherkoi were also destroyed, he added.
Meanwhile, the Radio Pakistan’s administration has opened the burnt Radio Pakistan Peshawar for general public, students and youth to show the scale of devastation and would continue to open for the public till upcoming Friday.
Except for a few rooms of its basement and studios, the entire building was ransacked and burnt down with piles of black ashes in almost all rooms of the four storey building.
The students and civil society are coming to the burnt Radio Pakistan’s building and condemning the attack on it.
“The devastation to this historic building was beyond of my imagination, highly condemnable and culprits involved in it should be given exemplary punishment,” said Ehtisham Qaiser of Wapda Town Peshawar.
He said that bruning of Chaghi mountains model constructed in memory of May 28, 1998 explosions in its premises of PBC by the rioters was highly deplorable, saying it exposed the evil mind set of the anti state elements.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor, Chief Minister and Prime Minister’s adviser Engr Amir Muqam and others leadership have recently visited Radio Pakistan’s building and expressed solidarity with its employees. They assured full cooperation and support to Radio Pakistan administration.