Iconic TV anchor Tariq Aziz laid to rest.

LAHORE -- Iconic radio and television figure Tariq Aziz, who breathed his last after a heart attack here on Wednesday, was laid to rest at the Garden Block, Garden Town graveyard in the presence of family and friends. He was 84.

Earlier, Tariq Aziz's funeral prayers were offered at a local mosque in Garden Block which was led by Qari Sadaqat Ali.

Renowned figures from the show-biz industry including Qawi Khan, Sohail Ahmed, and people from all walks of life attended the funeral prayers.

Prime Minister Imran Khan, Chief Minister Punjab Sardar Usman Buzdar, Governor Punjab Chaudhry Mohammad Sarwar, Leader of the Opposition in National Assembly Shehbaz Sharif, literary figures, artists, his admirers and people from all walks of life have condoled the sad demise of Tariq Aziz, terming it a great loss.

Tariq Aziz, who made his mark as a pioneer television game-show host 'Neelam Ghar' on Pakistan Television (PTV), was born in Jalandhar (British Punjab) on April 28,1936 and his family migrated to Pakistan after partition of India in 1947. He got education in Sahiwal (formerly Montgomery) but later moved to Lahore in 1961 to pursue a career at Radio Pakistan as announcer and breathed his last in the very city which embraced his talents and gave him eternal fame.

According to Dr. Mehdi Hasan, (who happens to be boyhood friend and spent many years together in Sahiwal and shared rooms in Lahore till Tariq Aziz joined Pakistan Television in 1964) Tariq Aziz came to Lahore to join Radio Pakistan as announcer in 1961. He was, later in 1964, selected as male television presenter by the then Managing Director PTV Aslam Azhar after television was launched. Tariq Aziz enjoys the distinction of being the first male television presenter when PTV launched its transmission on 26th November 1964.

Tariq Aziz, who remained associated with PTV till his last breath, won eternal fame as game-show host 'Neelam Ghar' - a show he hosted for almost for four decades with few breaks from 1974 till 2012. The show was more of a source of information and knowledge than a mere entertainment program. 'Neelam Ghar' became so synonymous with the persona of Tariq Aziz that the show was re-named as 'Tariq Aziz Show' in 1997 while it was further re-phrased 'Bazm-e-Tariq' in 2006. 'Bazm-e-Tariq' holds the record of the longest broadcast television show in Pakistan besides the first game show in Asia with mass audience and commercial sponsorships.

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