Senior journalist Ashiq Chaudhry dies

LAHORE: Muhammad Ashiq Chaudhary, senior journalist and editor Showbiz and Culture Daily Jang and GEO TV, has died in Lahore. He was 82 years old.

Ashiq served both the print and electronic media for more than 50 years and had a long affiliation with daily Jang and GEO TV as editor culture and showbiz. He was awarded with Sitara-e-Imtiaz for his services in journalism in 2015.

In his outstanding career spanning five decades, Ashiq wrote more than 25,000 articles besides interviews and features for daily Jang, Akhbar-e-Jehan and Musawer. He laid and strengthened the foundations of film, showbiz and cultural journalism in Pakistan and played a pivotal role in the revival of film industry after the fall of Dhaka in 1971. He also produced, directed and scripted more than fifty documentaries for television.

He served as member of Pakistan Film Censor Board from 1990 to 2003. He also worked as cultural representative for BBC Asia Network from 1995-2004.