Altaf Hamid Rao,
MIRPUR (AJK): Like rest of the world, World Radio Day was also observed in Azad Jammu Kashmir on Thursday with the resolve that despite the fast emerging information technology, the utility and significance of radio would always be kept upheld being the swift source of infotainment.
Major ceremony in Azad Jammu Kashmir to mark the world radio day was hosted at the broadcasting house of Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpjr and its aligned body Radio FM / 101 here on Thursday with the Station Director and Controller Muhammad Shakeel to raise the significance of radio as a fast mean information and entertainment
Sharing their respective inputs on the ever-prevailing importance of radio – right from its invention, speakers including the Station Director Muhammad Shakeel, Senior producers Azam Khan Niazi and Jameel Bashar, Malik Bashir Murad, incharge news sector Ali Akhtar Salim, Senior Kashmiri journalist and casual staffers of the News Wing Altaf Hamid Rao, Muhammad Imran Chaudhry, Abdul Majeed Chghtai, Ms. Raheela Khan and others said that the radio brought people united. In an era of rapid media evolution, radio retains a special place in every community as an accessible source of vital news and information, they observed while highlighting the importance of the World Radio Day.
“But radio is also a source of innovation that pioneered interaction with audiences and user-generated content decades before they became mainstream”, they added.
Unveiling the story of the radio, right from its advent, Station Director Muhammad Shakeel said radio offers a wonderful display of diversity in its formats, in its languages, and among radio professionals themselves.
Station Director Muhammad Shakeel highlighted the existing and future exceptional role and responsibility of all three stations of Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpur, Muzaffarabad and Tararkheil in projecting national Kashmir cause – especially apprising locals and external world of the prevailing increased hostilities of India for the last 73 years in the Indian held Jammu Kashmir through the coercive tactics with ulterior motives to suppress Kashmiri struggle for freedom of the motherland from Indian clutches and their internationally-acknowledged right to self determination.
“This sends an important message to the world. As we strive to achieve the sustainable development goals and tackle the climate crisis, radio has a key role to play as a source of information and inspiration alike”, said Senior Kashmiri journalist and one of the pioneer casual staffer attached with the News Sector of Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpur Altaf Hamid Rao.
Rao emphasized the need of the more vibrant role of all stations of Radio Pakistan across the country and Azad Kashmir Radio for promoting the national narrative to apprise the external world of the just and principled stand of Pakistan on Kashmir issue backing Kashmiris struggle for right to self determination – which, he observed, has reached at the decisive stage following the supreme sacrifices being given by the people of the internationally-acknowledged disputed Jammu Kashmir state.
On this World Radio Day, let us recognize the enduring power of radio to promote diversity and help build a more peaceful and inclusive world, he said.
Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpur had emerged on September 30, 2002 after then Minister for Information and Broadcasting Nisaar Memon who switched the transmissions of the radio on AIR setting a mile-stone in the infotainment history in Azad Kashmir The FM – Radio – 93 and later that turned to FM-101.04 emerged as sister organization at the same building complex of the broadcasting house of AK Radio Mirpur later on
Programs of local, national and international interest are being aired through this electronic medium that has gained unprecedented popularity among the people of this region in this era of TV and social media. The Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpur covers a vast area of Pakistan and Azad Jammu Kashmir besides the occupied Jammu Kashmir and abroad through dissemination of its quality programs through internet.
This Correspondent understands that right from its advent, Azad Kashmir Radio Mirpur station launched various special programs of infotainment including those emanating to news and current affairs, apart from other entertainment programs for a younger audience to apprise them of their due role for the Kashmir cause.
Since its inception on September 30, 2002 AJK Radio Mirpur airs programs various languages including Gojri, Pahari, Kashmiri and Urdu.
