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 List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area, the List of countries and dependencies by population, second-most populous ...
, 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 List of countries and dependencies by population, fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 24 ...
, 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 ...
. He was a well-known radio writer, broadcaster and producer before Pakistan Television was launched from
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...
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 c ...
(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.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
''Taleem-e-Balighan'' (lit: Education for Adults) is a 1956 Pakistani social satire TV serial
''. 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
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 c ...
at its
Lahore
Lahore ( ; pnb, ; ur, ) is the second List of cities in Pakistan by population, most populous city in Pakistan after Karachi and 26th List of largest cities, most populous city in the world, with a population of over 13 million. It is th ...
*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)
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
The president of Pakistan ( ur, , translit=s̤adr-i Pākiṣṭān), officially the President of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, is the ceremonial head of state of Pakistan and the commander-in-chief of the Pakistan Armed Forces.Muhammad Nawaz Sharif 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."