Tariq Aziz | |
|---|---|
| طارق عزیز | |
 Tariq Aziz in 2018 | |
| Born | (1936-04-28)28 April 1936 |
| Died | 17 June 2020(2020-06-17) (aged 84) |
| Occupations | |
| Years active | 1961 – 2020 |
| Known for | Nilaam Ghar, Tariq Aziz Show, Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz |
| Office | Member ofNational Assembly of Pakistan (1997–1999) |
| Spouse | Hajira Tariq Aziz |
| Awards | Pride of Performance (1992) |
Tariq Aziz (Punjabi,Urdu:طارق عزیز; 28 April 1936 – 17 June 2020) was a Pakistani television host,poet, film actor, and politician known forPTV's quiz show Nilaam Ghar,[1] first aired in 1974, later renamed theTariq Aziz Show and later still asBazm-e-Tariq Aziz. He was known for his iconic line "Dekhti Aankho, Sunte Kaano aapko Tariq Aziz ka Salam pohnchay" (Urdu: دیکھتی آنکھوں، سنتے کانوں آپ کو طارق عزیز کا سلام پہنچے)[2][3] and his passionate, peculiar style of uttering the patriotic sloganPakistan Zindabad (Urdu: پاکستان زندہ باد).[4]
He was the first face to appear on television inPakistan.[5] He had also been a member of theNational Assembly of Pakistan between 1997 and 1999.[6]
Tariq Aziz was born in 1936 inJalandhar,Punjab Province. His father Mian Abdul Aziz was a lawyer, journalist and editor, responsible of a fortnightly magazine fromSahiwal, while being politically attached to theMajlis-e Ahrar-e Islam.[7] Later, Mian Abdul Aziz renamed himself Mian Abdul Aziz "Pakistani" whenChoudhry Rahmat Ali coined the term "Pakistan", and he would eventually lose his government job because of his anti-colonial activities.[8]
Tariq Aziz received his early education in Jalandhar and in 1947 migrated to the thenMontgomery District city (nowSahiwal, Pakistan). He graduated from theGovernment College Sahiwal. Later they shifted toAbbottabad and where his father died and was buried.[9]
Aziz moved toLahore to start his career atRadio Pakistan in 1961.[9]
WhenPakistan Television (PTV) started its initial broadcast in November 1964 from Lahore. Aziz was the first person to be seen on it and went on to become first male PTV announcer.[2][5] He was one of the first TV hosts to gain commercial success by using the platform of his quiz showNilaam Ghar/Tariq Aziz Show/Bazm E Tariq Aziz. He interviewed many notable intellectuals, sports persons and celebrities on his shows.[3] Aziz appeared on several local television programs and morning shows. He also organisedtelethons for charity purposes.[10]
After being active in politics in the 1990s and early 2000s, he returned to the entertainment industry. But this time his career in the entertainment industry could not reach the highs of the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s due to plenty of competition by newly launched private TV channels in Pakistan after 2002.[2]
He appeared, as a guest, and answered all the questions on the game showInaam Ghar in Pakistan, becoming the first man to do this. He did this without using any help provided to the participants. He then donated all the prizes that he received to an organisation which works for the welfare of people.[3]
Tariq Aziz, along with the film actorWaheed Murad and film actressZeba, starred inPakistani filmInsaniyat (1967).[11] Aziz also starred in other Pakistani filmsHaar Gaya Insaan and then later inQasam us Waqt Ki (1969). He also acted in a number of Pakistani films in the late 1960s and 1970s in side-roles. One of his movies wasSalgira (1969) which was a highly successful musical movie and won twoNigar Awards for that year.[12][13]
Aziz was active in student politics during his college era and joinedZulfiqar Ali Bhutto'sPakistan Peoples Party in 1970. At that time, Aziz was called a "firebrandsocialist" known for charging up the crowds with revolutionary slogans at Bhutto's rallies.[2] However, later he parted ways with that party and went back to showbiz. In 1996, Aziz joinedPakistan Muslim League (N) and was elected as a member ofPakistan National Assembly from Lahore. He was one of the political activists who were charged with attacking theSupreme Court of Pakistan building in 1997.[14][2]
DuringPervez Musharraf's presidency, he joined his political partyPakistan Muslim League (Q).[2] However, he could not attain any status of note in that party and was sidelined.[2]
Aziz was aphilanthropist, book-lover, and poetry reciter. In 2018, a major English-language Pakistani newspaper reported about him, "He (Tariq Aziz) shared that having children or no children is the will of Allah and since he has no kids of his own, he would like to give all his earnings for the welfare of his country. Aziz has won the hearts of many by announcing his will and he surely is a role model for all of us."[3]
Tariq Aziz was a poet of Punjabi language and writer. His books include:
He died on 17 June 2020 in Lahore, aged 84.[17][18] He was admitted to a private hospital on the night of 16 June 2020 after feeling ill. He was laid to rest at the Garden Block, Garden Town graveyard in Lahore, Pakistan beside his mother’s grave.[9][19]