‘Athar Shah Khan Jaidi was a gem’

MULTAN: Living legend and pride of performance artist Shakeel said that Athar Shah Khan Jaidi was a gem with multidimensional shades of personality as he was an actor, writer, director, broadcaster and a poet.

Talking here on Monday, he informed that it was hard to find such a superb and educated human being whose sense of humour was matchless these days.

Athar Bhai never used below the belt language for anyone even when he spoke extempore, the veteran artist said and adding they worked together in ‘Intizar Farmaye’.

He had no substitute as it was law of nature to create everyone with different personality, the great artist said.

“Athar Shah Khan Jaidi, Anwar Maqsood, Talat Hussain, Shafi Muhammad Shah, Behroz Sabzwari, Jamshaid Ansari, myself and some other artistes had gone to Saudi Arabia to perform Umrah first time. I came to know about his personality a lot while travelling”, Shakeel reminisced.

It was heart rendering to tell that he had left us for final adobe at a time when global pandemic had gripped the world and he could not attend his funeral, he regretted. Our peers were packing up with the passage of time and our heart sink at news of their demise, Shakeel deplored.

Former Radio Pakistan Director General Khursheed Malik said tha Athar Khan Jaidi had started his career with Radio Pakistan. He informed that Mr Khan had conducted many known radio programmes which were broadcast on national hookup (from all the stations across the country).

He was a nice writer who selected diction which appealed the commoners, the broadcaster said and added that Mr Khan was able to ‘feel the pulse’ of the listeners.

Athar Shah khan was a creative soul and used to develop his characters himself though it was job of the producer, the former DG Radio said, adding he was a versatile performer as well as a talented director, and amazing writer, legendary broadcaster and above all, a gentle soul.

He recalled that ex-producer Radio Pakistan Karachi Azim Sarwar developed his character ‘Jaidi’ for a commercial programme ‘Jaidi K Mahmaan’ which won him accolades across the country. He disclosed that the programme had broadcast for 24 years from Karachi radio.

Earlier, he had worked at Radio Pakistan Lahore too before moving to Karachi, he informed. In the end, Khursheed Malik paid a glowing tribute to him.

unavailability of diesel: Disturbed by the unavailability of diesel, farmers were moving from pillar to post in search of it for running thrasher after harvesting wheat.

A number of farmers told on Monday that as POL prices lowered, diesel was not available in the city.

They complained that it was being sold at much higher rates if it was available at small oil agencies, adding that they were in desperate need of diesel to run thrashers after harvesting of wheat.

They said that it was also needed for cultivation of cotton. The farmers requested the government to pay attention to resolve the ongoing issue.