Radio Pakistan’s workers protest

Outcry over leasing out state-radio’s historic building

Workers of the Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation (PBC) or Radio Pakistan yesterday took to the road against a government’s notification for leasing out the PBC building in order to generate funds.

The building they said represented the voice of Pakistan and aspirations of millions of Pakistanis and was of historic importance as former Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto inaugurated it back in early 1970s.

The protest held in front of the Radio Pakistan’s main building was participated by not only the officers, staff and workers of the PBC but also by the retired employees, daily-wage workers and members of civil society.

According to them the PTI-government’s decision to lease out a building of historic importance would be tantamount to disrespecting an institute that was born simultaneously with the birth of Pakistan.

A former deputy controller of Radio Pakistan Safdar Hamdani was of the view that people of the subcontinent learnt about partition of India and birth of Pakistan through Radio Pakistan Lahore in 1947.

Radio Pakistan has been quite instrumental in infusing spirit of patriotism and Ideology of Pakistan among the masses, he said.

At present more than 1,500 staffers are working in the Islamabad station of Radio Pakistan, he said.