Prime Minister Imran Khan has expressed his grief over the death of Farooq Qaiser, the voice of the legendary fictional character Uncle Sargam.
“Saddened to learn of Farooq Qaiser’s death,” wrote the PM on Twitter. “He was not just a performer but would constantly raise awareness about social injustices and issues.”
“My condolences and prayers go to his family,” added the premier.
Farooq Qaiser passed away on Saturday, May 14 after suffering a heart attack, his grandson Muhammad confirmed to Pakistan Television News (PTV).
Besides PM Imran, other prominent personalities including Fawad Chaudhry, Humayun Saeed Adnan Siddiqui, Shaan Shahid, Ali Zafar and Maryam Nawaz also expressed their grief over the death of the legendary artist.
Born in 1945 in Sialkot, Farooq Qaiser was a renowned puppeteer, artist and columnist and was associated with PTV from 1976. Qaiser spent his early childhood in Peshawar and Kohat and in 1970 graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts from the National College of Arts (NCA), Lahore. Later he received a master’s degree in Graphic Arts from Bucharest, Romania in 1976 and also trained for puppetry there.
He also received his master’s degree in Mass Communication in 1999 from the University of Southern California, School for Communication and Journalism, United States.
With a prolific career, Qaiser was the recipient of the Pride of Performance Award (1993), the Lifetime Achievement Award (2010) and PTV’s Silver Jubilee Award besides many other national and international titles.
Rest in peace Uncle Sargam! You have been an important part of our childhood.
