Youm-e-Takreem Shuhada at State Broadcaster
YOUM-e-Takreem Shuhada-e-Pakistan was observed on 25 May to pay homage to the martyrs, who laid down their lives while defending the motherland, fighting foreign-funded terrorists or rescuing their compatriots during natural calamities. The need to observe the day was direly felt after misguided miscreants stormed several military installations and ruthlessly desecrated monuments, memorials and other symbols of the Martyrs. These miscreants, having no knowledge of the glorious history of their heroes, were apparently trained for the purpose and misguided by a hype intentionally created against the defenders of Pakistan for petty political gains.
The terrorists attacked sensitive installations and sacred symbols of valiant soldiers at different parts of the country. These include attack on GHQ, Corps Commander House ie Jinnah House and Airbase in Mianwali. They vandalized the statue of Captain Karnal Sher Khan Shaheed (Nishan Haider) at Mardan besides attacks on other places. Chaghi Monument at Radio Pakistan building in Peshawar was also not spared. Chaghi Monument makes us proud and reminds us of the day when Pakistan conducted successful tit-for-tat nuclear tests after India did the same in May 1998 and started threatening it of dire consequence. It has been a great pride for the Pakistani nation as it had emerged as the first declared nuclear power of the Muslim world.
The miscreants burnt Radio Pakistan’s Peshawar Station that was established in 1935. The priceless and valuable archives, preserved at the station ever since its establishment, were burnt to ashes. Targeting such places of historic importance clearly shows that the assailants were anti-state elements, not peaceful protesters. The damage done to the motherland on 9 May is tragic and traumatic because many of the monuments vandalized by these thugs are irreplaceable. The acts by miscreants show that they had no regard for their national dignity and pride. While addressing the ceremony at Radio Pakistan Peshawar, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif lamented over this vandalism which perished invaluable treasure preserved by the national broadcaster. The Prime Minister spoke his heart out and his grief and anger over the tragedy was unequivocal.
The missing element of the ceremony was that unsung heroes, who spent their lives in preparing and preserving this treasure, were not remembered. These heroes tirelessly worked to take Radio Pakistan to its glory. They stood with the defenders of their borders in wars and other testing times. The role played by this organization in the 1965 War has been written in golden letters. These unsung heroes are now called the pensioners of the State Broadcaster. Of late, they have been facing a step-motherly treatment and finding it hard to make both ends meet as pension is not paid to them for months. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s attention was drawn to this misery of the employees and the pensioners. The sufferings of the pensioners have increased manifold because they are neither being given medical facility nor commutation on retirement. All their dreams to live a comfortable retired life have been shattered. They have to wait for years to materialize their dreams of buying or building a shelter for them or wedding their daughters.
When the Prime Minister was visiting Peshawar Radio Station, the employees of the State Broadcaster in Islamabad were on roads, protesting for payment of salary, pension and other dues. Shehbaz Sharif announced payment in 48 hours and a summary was immediately moved for ECC for approval to enable PBC to overcome deficit and ensure smooth functioning. The unsung heroes of the State Broadcaster need special attention of the decision-makers. No need to emphasize that Radio Pakistan was converted into PBC through an Act of Parliament under which the government is bound to meet its financial requirements, in the same way in which state broadcasters across the world are funded by the states.
—The writer is former Director News, Radio Pakistan.
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