LAHORE: Veteran actor and television host Tariq Aziz passed away in Lahore on Wednesday.
He was 84-year-old and was admitted to a private hospital last night after he fell critically ill. However, the cause of his death is not yet disclosed.
Born in 1936 in British India, Aziz received his early education in Jalandhar (now in India) before starting his career at Radio Pakistan in Lahore. When the state-owned Pakistan Television (PTV) started its broadcast in 1964 from Lahore, he became the first male news announcer of the country.
In 1974, Aziz started the first-of-its-type game show, Neelam Ghar, from PTV. The show went on to register unprecedented heights. It was later rebranded as Tariq Aziz Show in 1996 before finally renamed Bazm-e-Tariq Aziz in 2006.
Aziz also tried his luck in movies. He starred in Insaniyat (1967) alongside Waheed Murad and Zeba, following which he played a leading role in Haar Gaya Insaan.
He received the Pride of Performance award in 1992 for his services.
