Haseeb Pasha – who played Hamoon Jadugar in the famous Pakistan Television (PTV) series Ainak Wala Jin – has claimed that her Pride Of Performance award was given away to actress Mehwish Hayat.
"The then PTV chairman Attaul Haq Qasmi had spoken to me about how fond he was of my plays and that I deserved a Pride of Performance award; he had said that he would nominate me," Pasha said.
In a podcast with Hafiz Ahmed, he said that his nomination was subsequently approved by a committee of 16 members.
"There was no success the first year, and then he sent the recommendation to Islamabad the next year, but to no avail."
Pasha went on to add that the nomination list was sent to the relevant authorities for four consecutive years, but somehow, his name always got dropped.
Read this too: After Kubra Khan, Mehwish Hayat Approaches SHC Over ‘Smear Campaign’
"It would be given to someone posthumously every time. At one point, I was told that it was given away to Mehwish Hayat, whom I don't know, in recognition of one of her serials."
He added that his act of bringing joy to children wasn't recognised and a young actress, "who may have done good work, was rewarded".
"It seems there are some magicians in Islamabad who would drop my name from the list each time," he quipped, in a reference to his own role in the play as a magician.
Concluding, the actor told the podcast host, "Will it be awarded to me posthumously; how will it benefit me?" He urged the authorities concerned to look at the matter personally for a different outcome.
"The then PTV chairman Attaul Haq Qasmi had spoken to me about how fond he was of my plays and that I deserved a Pride of Performance award; he had said that he would nominate me," Pasha said.
In a podcast with Hafiz Ahmed, he said that his nomination was subsequently approved by a committee of 16 members.
"There was no success the first year, and then he sent the recommendation to Islamabad the next year, but to no avail."
Pasha went on to add that the nomination list was sent to the relevant authorities for four consecutive years, but somehow, his name always got dropped.
Read this too: After Kubra Khan, Mehwish Hayat Approaches SHC Over ‘Smear Campaign’
"It would be given to someone posthumously every time. At one point, I was told that it was given away to Mehwish Hayat, whom I don't know, in recognition of one of her serials."
He added that his act of bringing joy to children wasn't recognised and a young actress, "who may have done good work, was rewarded".
"It seems there are some magicians in Islamabad who would drop my name from the list each time," he quipped, in a reference to his own role in the play as a magician.
Concluding, the actor told the podcast host, "Will it be awarded to me posthumously; how will it benefit me?" He urged the authorities concerned to look at the matter personally for a different outcome.
The Pride of Performance is the highest national literary award of Pakistan conferred upon citizens and, while it recognises literary contribution, it can also be conferred upon foreign nationals.