Beloved ‘Neelam Ghar’ host Tariq Aziz passes away

By News Desk

LAHORE: Pakistan’s first television anchor and newscaster, Tariq Aziz, who earned wide renown as the host of Pakistan Television (PTV) game show ‘Neelam Ghar’, died of a heart attack in Lahore on Wednesday. He was 84.

Aziz’s Neelam Ghar aired for four decades after it first aired in 1975, and was renamed as the Tariq Aziz Show. He also worked in radio programmes, television shows and starred in a number of films as a leading actor.

The Government of Pakistan conferred him with the Pride of Performance award for his services in 1992. Aziz was also twice elected as a member National Assembly in 1997 and 1999. He was also known for his charity work.

Tributes started pouring in on social media soon after his death, with many praising his deep voice and commanding screen presence.

His death triggered also an outpouring of grief from the country’s politicians. President Arif Alvi termed Tariq Aziz “an institution in his field”. Prime Minister Khan said Aziz was “an icon in his time and a pioneer of our TV game shows”. Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz President and Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif said he was a patriotic Pakistani and he was the “identity and passionate voice of the homeland”.