Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari,commonly known by his initialsZ. A. Bukhari(Urdu:ذوالفقار علی بخاری) (July 6, 1904 – July 12, 1975), was abroadcasterofBritish Indiaand laterPakistan.He was also a writer, poet and musician. He was the first director-general ofRadio Pakistan.[1][2]
Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari ذوالفقار علی بخاری | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | July 6, 1904[1][2] |
| Died | 12 July 1975(aged 71)[1] |
| Nationality | Pakistani |
| Education | Oriental College |
| Occupation(s) | Radio Broadcasting[2] also known asBaba-e-Nasharyaat (Father of Broadcasting in Pakistan) |
| Website | Official website |
Early life
editHe was born into a family ofpeers(Sufi mystics) on 6 July 1904 inPeshawar,British India.His family was of mixedKashmiriandHindkowanethnicity.[3]Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari, or Z. A. Bukhari as he was popularly known, came toLahoreafter passing his matriculation exam. His elder brotherPatras Bokhari,[3]one of Urdu's finest humorists, lived there. AtLahore,the younger Bukhari enrolled inOriental Collegeand completed hisMunshi Fazil,the highest degree at that time in the oriental branch of knowledge.[1][2]
Career
edit
In his autobiography,Sarguzasht,Z. A. Bukhari writes: "As I came out of a tea house in Peshawar, I ran into my friend Qazi. Reading a clipping from Lahore's newspaper Tribune again and again, he was just smiling to himself. On being asked, he told me that an advertiser had invited applications, care of a post box, for someone who knewEnglish,Urdu,Persian,Arabic,PushtoandPunjabi.The mere thought how anybody could know that many languages was making him smile. And I thought "well, I at least know a little of all of them". I stormed into a typist's shop, typed an application and mailed it mentioning the names of Mirza Mohammad Saeed Dehlvi andDr Mohammad Iqbalas references. "[1]
The advertisement was fromShimla's Board of Examiners (an institution established inBritish Indiato teach vernaculars to theBritishofficers) and Bukhari was selected for the post. It was back in 1925 and he was 21. He became aMunshi(or a teacher) and was ultimately promoted as the head of the bureau of translation. Besides his profession, Z. A. Bukhari also took part in other theatrical activities.[1]
One of Bukhari's British students atShimlawas later posted asAssistant District Commissionerto the then governor ofPunjab.And when the government decided to run the radio service in a professional manner and fromLondonsent Lionel Fieldon – a maverick war veteran – to set up a full-fledged broadcasting station in 1935 inDelhi,that student of Bukhari's recommended and introduced him to Fieldon. Z. A. Bukhari's talents blossomed when the British decided to run the radio in a professional manner and launched a broadcasting station inDelhi.Sir Malcolm Darlingrecruited Bukhari on the recommendation of the controller of broadcasting for All India Radio, Lionel Fielden, to set up the Indian section of the Eastern Service. Initially Bukhari and his team only contributed a weekly news report and an occasional cultural programme. Bukhari was trained by Lionel Fielden in the art of broadcasting. Bukhari was then appointed at the newly established AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster))Delhistation as programme director.[2]
In 1939, Bukhari, as a Station Director of AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)) Delhi station, got transferred to Bombay (now Mumbai) station of AIR (Akashvani (radio broadcaster)).[4]
Z. A. Bukhari helped the Bombay radio station make a lot of improvements. There were many people at Bombay radio station he helped like the film playback singers,G. M. Durrani,Suraiyaetc. Durrani called Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari his 'Ustad' (teacher) to show him respect.
After thePartition of Indiaand creation ofPakistan,he was made the first director-general of Radio Pakistan (Pakistan Broadcasting Corporation) (then known asPakistan Broadcasting Serviceon 14 August 1947, when Pakistan emerged on the world map as a new country). The most important thing is that the independence of Pakistan was announced throughRadio Pakistanon Aug 13, 1947 at 11:59 pm. Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari retired from the radio in 1959.[5]
In 1967, he served as the first general manager of PTV-Karachi Center (Pakistan Television Corporation) as it started broadcasting in the city ofKarachi.[6][1]
Personality
editBukhari was a workaholic. With his immense energies and love for broadcasting, he worked at the radio station till late into the night. Nasrullah Khan in his bookKya Qafal Jata Haihas described how Bukhari would sit with singers, guide them, compose new tunes and would even sing with them. He introduced many innovative ideas at radio stations. He would write many programmes and broadcast them, too.[7]
A hard taskmaster and a man who had been immersed in culture and literature, Bukhari did not tolerate slights in broadcasting and especially emphasized the correctUrdupronunciation. Some experts were especially hired by him to check and correct the pronunciation of artistes. During Bukhari's tenure, the radio station was a place frequented by intellectuals, writers, musicians, poets and scholars. He turnedRadio Pakistaninto an institution where raw hands got their early training and later went ahead in search of greener pastures. A great many of them, trained by him, became celebrities in their respective fields.[2]
Literary work
editSyed Ghulam Husain Jafri has authored a book on Bokhari called "Baba-e-Nasharyaat: Marconi say Bokhari Tak".[5]In this book the author has traced the history of radio from its invention to establishment of BBC,All India RadioandRadio Pakistanand has tried to narrate the biography of Mr Z.A Bukhari. Mr. Ghulam Husain Jafri has the credit to have detailed discussion with him for about 2 years during his service at Radio Pakistan. A detailed commentary can be found on Mirza Zafar-ul-Hasan, Bukhari's friend and colleague atRadio Pakistanand a writer in his own right, published a special issue ofGhalib,a quarterly published by Idara-i-Yadgar-i-Ghalib, on Bukhari posthumously. He also compiledYad-i-Yar-i-Mehrban,a book on Bukhari. Both the publications contain Bukhari's satire columns and some transcriptions of his broadcasts, including the rare ones broadcast by him inUrdufrom theBBCduring his stay inLondon.
Bukhari's other books includeSarguzasht,an autobiography,Jo Kuchh Main Ne Kaha,a collection of his verses andRaag Darya,a book on classical music ofPakistanandIndia.[1][7]
Death and legacy
editZ.A. Bukhari died inKarachion 12 July 1975 at age 71.[1]An auditorium atPakistan Broadcasting Corporationbuilding inIslamabadis named in his honor recognizing his services to broadcasting in Pakistan.[8]
References
edit- ^abcdefghiRauf Parekh (8 July 2008)."Z. A. Bukhari: from 'Chief Moulvi' to director-general".Dawn (newspaper).Retrieved30 March2018.
- ^abcdefRaza Rumi (14 October 2014)."Reclaiming the legacy of Z A Bukhari".The Friday Times (newspaper).Retrieved30 March2018.
- ^abAhmed, Khaled (13 May 1999)."The House of Patras".The Friday Times.Retrieved10 August2019.
- ^Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari as Station Director of All India Radio in 1939 on batish.com websiteRetrieved 31 March 2018
- ^abURDU LITERATURE: Bukhari of the radioDawn (newspaper) Published 31 Oct 2010, Retrieved 31 March 2018
- ^Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari reciting 'marsiya' on Pakistan Television, videoclip on YouTubeRetrieved 31 March 2018
- ^abFamed broadcaster ZA Bukhari's anniversary todaySamaa TV website, Published 12 July 2012, Retrieved 31 March 2018
- ^All Pakistan Naat Khawani competition being held at Z.A. Bukhari Auditorium PBC Islamabad todayTimes of Islamabad (newspaper), Published 29 November 2017
External links
edit- Zulfiqar Ali BukhariatRekhta.org
- 'Baba-e-Nasharyaat: Marconi se Bokhari Tak' Zulfiqar Ali Bukhari (father of broadcasting)on Dawn newspaper archives
- The quirky, sometimes sad tales from Radio PakistanDawn (newspaper)