Agha Nasir (9 February 1937 – 12 July 2016), was a Pakistani director, producer, broadcaster and TV playwright. He started his career at Radio Pakistan in 1955. He later directed TV films and worked in the Pakistani television industry for over 50 years. Agha Nasir was considered by many people in Pakistan, as a 'living encyclopedia' of the broadcasting history in Pakistan.[2]

Agha Nasir
Born(1937-02-09)9 February 1937
Died12 July 2016(2016-07-12) (aged 79)
Nationality Pakistan
Occupation(s)Radio broadcaster, Television producer, Television director
Years active1955 – 2016
Known forOne of the pioneers of Pakistan Television Corporation

Career

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Agha Nasir graduated from the University of Karachi.[2] He was a well-known radio writer, broadcaster and producer before Pakistan Television was launched from Lahore in 1964.[2]

He was one of the people who developed the logo of the Pakistan Television Corporation (PTV). He was a member of the pioneering team of people that first introduced television in Pakistan. This team was headed by Ubaidur Rahman (first General Manager) and 'the dynamic' Aslam Azhar (first Managing Director) of PTV Lahore Center.[1] Agha Nasir produced the popular TV serials Girah and Pani Peh Naam and directed the PTV drama Taleem-e-Balighan.[3] He guided Pakistan Television through its early days and then helped build it into a national institution.[4] 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 Pakistan Television Corporation at its Lahore Center. He also served as a director general of Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA).[2]

Books

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  • Gumshuda Log (People we have lost)[1]
  • Gulshan-i-Yaad (The Garden of Memory)[1]
  • Hum Jeetay Ji Masroof Rahey (We stayed occupied as long as we lived)[1]
  • This is PTV - Another Day, Another World[1]
  • Agha sey Agha Nasir tak (Autobiography)[citation needed]

Awards and recognition

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Death and legacy

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Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif expressed grief over his death on 12 July 2016 in Islamabad.[2][5] Agha Nasir left behind his wife Safia Agha, who died on 26 March 2023, in the month of Ramadan. They are survived by their son Agha Bilal and two daughters - Huma and Shamaila.[2]

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."[1]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Bilgrami, Jaffer (13 July 2016). "A tribute to PTV broadcaster Agha Nasir". Images. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Eminent broadcaster Agha Nasir is no more". The Express Tribune (newspaper). 13 July 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Profile of Agha Nasir TV Director, radio writer, broadcaster and producer PTV, Radio Pakistan". urduwire.com. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 30 November 2018.
  4. ^ Broadcaster Agha Nasir dies Dawn (newspaper), Published 13 July 2016, Retrieved 30 November 2018
  5. ^ "Broadcaster Agha Nasir passes away". Pakistan Today (newspaper). Retrieved 30 November 2018.