A condolence reference was organized in the memory of renowned TV and theatre artist Masood Khawaja at the Punjab Arts Council on Saturday.
Director Arts Council Waqar Ahmed presided over the reference while NaheedManzoor graced the event as chief guest.
Speaking on the occasion, NaheedManzoor said that during his 30-year career, Masood Khawaja had acted in hundreds of TV and theatre dramas. “He had a very fine sense of humour, making him popular in Pakistan and internationally.”She added that Masood introduced the stand-up comedy in Pakistan, which had become the identity of many artists today.
Naheed further said that Masood Khawaja was not just a mentor but an academy for artists. “He always welcomed new artists and helped them understand the basics of acting.” The sudden demise of Masood Khawaja has created a vacuum in comic circles of Pakistan, she added.
Director Arts Council Waqar Ahmed said that Masood was one of the artists who made a name for himself in the film industry by working tirelessly. Khawaja played comedy roles in TV dramas and theatres and was a laughing stock in real life. He always raised his voice for the artists’ welfare and provided financial support to the artists by founding an organization called Pakistan Artists Welfare, Waqar added.
AnjumKhabibi, Asma Butt, Afzal Latifi, NaeemAkram Qureshi, Khalid Zia Siddiqui, Anjum Malik, Saeed Anwar, AnjumAbbasi, Arshad Masood Minhas, Syed SaleemAffandi, Amjad Chaudhry, Suleiman Sunni, Liaquat Shah, Jhalak Ali, Imran Roshdi and others also refreshed the memories of Masood Khawaja at the reference. At the end of the ceremony, PirAzmatullah Sultan also offered fateha for the departed soul of Masood Khawaja. Many artists from the twin cities participated in the event.
