PESHAWAR: Pashto writers on Thursday resented the cut in time for programmes in regional languages on PTV Peshawar Centre and sought a reversal of the decision.
The demand was made at a meeting held at the Islamia College University, Peshawar. Prof Dr Abaseen Yousafzai chaired the meeting.
The participants urged the high-ups of the state-run TV to review the decision of reducing the time for telecasting programmes in regional languages which, they said, was against the spirit of national unity.
They said the cut in time for Pashto would not be tolerated because PTV decision was against the public interest.
The writers demanded a full-fledged Pashto TV channel on the pattern those of Sindhi and Punjabi.
The participants said they welcomed the launching of the PTV Multan and Azad Kashmir channels but will not accept any cut in time for rest of regional languages including Pashto, adding the officials must stop discriminatory attitude to the regional languages.
The writers deplored that Pashto had no official TV channel and even time for it had been reduced and now Pashto programmes were being telecast at an odd time from 1 pm to 2 pm.
Prof Dr Abaseen Yousafzai flayed the authorities concerned for cutting time for Pashto programmes and said Pashto literary circles would be mobilized to protest such policies of the PTV.
Noorul Amin Yousafzai said not only time for the Pashto programmes on PTV, Peshawar Centre had been reduced, but also the time was trimmed for the Pashto shows on Saturday and Monday.
Ayaz Abshaar, Prof Zar Muhammad Sangar, Prof Zaryab Yousafzai, Shahab Aziz Arman, and Sajjad Juwandoon also spoke on the occasion.
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