My Words My Talk….Mudassar Qadeer
(mudassarqadeer579@gmail.com).
The celebration of World Radio Day began in 2011 after the approval of the resolution presented at the United Nations General Assembly, and World Radio Day was celebrated for the first time in 2012. And this year the day is being celebrated with the determination that radio can be highlighted as a pillar of conflict prevention and peace building across the world and rightly so because radio stations shape public opinion. are and create a narrative that can influence domestic and international situations and decision-making processes. Increasing the journalistic quality and capacity of radio should be considered an investment in peace because it contributes to conflict prevention and peace-building. Radio is a key player and an integral part of peace building and transition. Radio is uniquely positioned to bring together different segments and promote positive dialogue for change. Radio programmers use different techniques, programs and formats such as calls. They also foster a culture of dialogue through talk shows, audience forums, etc and thus provide opportunities for dialogue, which leads to democracy providing the basis for strong and sustainable peace. Professional radio potentially addresses both the root causes and triggers of conflict. It offers an alternative approach to conflict prevention by clarifying frustrations, or conflicts of interest, resolving misunderstandings and identifying issues of mistrust. It can help fight hatred, a desire for revenge, or the urge to take up arms.
United Nations peacekeeping missions support radio stations and radio programs in many of their host countries. Radio is a powerful tool for celebrating humanity and a platform for democratic discourse. It is the most widely used tool globally. I was introduced to radio at the age of 7 when I came with my mother and younger sister to participate in Radio Pakistan Lahore’s children’s program Roshan Dunya where I first met Naseer Bhai, the co-ordinator of the program who is a meme artist himself. And during the program the birds used to sing the voices of different artistes. I was a primary class student at that time and I gave my audition which was based on a children’s poem which was selected. At that time there was a good number of children during the program and this program was broadcast live every Friday and for that we had to do a lot of rehearsals to get our item. My broadcaster audition for Radio Pakistan Lahore was taken by the producer Nasreen Anjum Bhatti whom we used to call as Nasreen aunty.I continued to get positions by regularly participating in the events, while I was a complete flop in this field. I continued to get work in the plays of Radio Pakistan Lahore and my category was first B and till 1996, I was included in the A category of Sadakar. In those days, producers Aftab Iqbal, Barakatullah, Raza Kazmi, Ahmed Sheikh and Riaz Mehmood used to give me work in their plays, due to which my pocket money came out. I also saw that period of radio when I acted in a side drama, then I got a check from the duty room at the same time and that period has not come back till date. In 1999, on the recommendations of producer Ahmed Sheikh, program manager Gulzar Usmani increased my category to AA, which has remained till today. Became attached and also worked in plays in between. I was selected for a series of interviews called Meri Pechan Pakistan based on interviews with workers associated with the Tehreek-e-Pakistan movement and I still hold the record that I broadcast interviews of living workers during this period throughout the year. The fame of radio itself brought me to PTV but I could not adjust to the atmosphere there and then my heart was not there and I remained in radio. I was familiar with the art of script writing, so I was given by the producers to write programs and voice over. He was the chief reporter and he joined me in the reporting team of the newspaper where I was given crime reporting and I became involved in journalism but I had a love for radio in my heart, so I used to write scripts for programs and do voiceovers in dramas. In 2014, one day after my marriage, I got the order of appointment as a contract producer in Radio Pakistan Lahore and today in 2023, I am associated with the organization in this capacity. Radio is also a low-cost medium which is particularly suitable for reaching out to remote people and providing educational, cultural, agricultural, religious and literary services to the people. On the death of Amjad Islam Amjad, I got an opportunity to produce the national program, which I also wrote while the narrator was Hafz Kazim and the co-producer was Ifat Alavi.Today I recieve certificate of honor from international radio listeners organization pakistan which I consider an honor for myself.