The news of the series’ revival has been well-received amongst the fans and judging from the reaction we have received on Dawn.com, people based in Pakistan and abroad are eagerly awaiting its return to the television screens. Questions, however, have also been raised on the need of creating new television shows that provide the same level of entertainment and recreation to viewers, instead of turning back to shows from the past. Pakistan’s television industry, it is being said, has failed to live up to the standards it set from the late 1970s up until the early 2000s. While dramas and television shows have increased manifold with the sprouting of dozens of private television channels, the quality of programming, viewers insist, has dropped drastically. Television enthusiasts also insist that a new crop of actors have failed to live up to the standards of the earlier generations.

Despite the airing of hundreds of new televisions on dozens of new channels, when classic dramas and sitcoms are aired on cable television networks despite grainy prints and pirated DVDs, they still manage to outdo the newer, more glamorous offerings.

Should Pakistani television channels go back to hits of yesteryears in order to attract viewers?

Can the television shows being produced now match the standards set by the early years of programming?

Do you want to see new faces on your television screens or would you be happy to have the same actors play the same roles?

Which of the classics would you like to see remade?

Dawn.com invites its readers to share their views and suggestions…

Before illness ended his career he was already hailed as the king of ghazal, and a man who had revolutionized the art form forever. His life and work marked an era of traditional ghazal style that many say, has ended with his demise.

He was plagued by lung, chest and urinary tract disorder for over a decade, and the illnesses had taken away his voice and career, but not his passion for music.

He was born on July 18, 1927 in Rajistan, and rose to fame with his rendition of “Gulon mein rang bhare” by Faiz Ahmed Faiz.

Hassan has a huge fan following all over the world, which includes other greats like Lata Mangeshkar. He has also been the inspiration for many legendary singers, such as Tina Sani, and Jagjit Singh.

Here are some of his celebrated ghazals:

“Muhabbat karne wale kam na hon ge”, a ghazal by Hafeez Jalandhri in Ghazal
Maestro’s later style:

“Ku-baku Phail Gayi”, by Parveen Shakir:

“Mohabbat karne walay kam na hongay”

Mehdi Hassan meant a lot to many people, each of them have their own favourites, and personal associations with his work.

Share with us, your own memories and sentiments on the great ghazal king, and tell us which of his songs/ghazals means the most to you and why.

Chinoy’s triumph is, rightly, being celebrated with much vigour and the country’s prime minister has announced the highest civilian award for the filmmaker.

The film, which beat competition in the form of documentaries based on Japan’s deadly tsunami and the Iraq war among others, is the story of acid-attack victims punished by men and are then given reconstructive surgery by a British surgeon. Showing the real ‘face’ of the Pakistani society, where men resort to such heinous crimes, the film touched many a heart.

Back at home, a bill was passed against such acts of violence against women, last month. While the bill has been hailed as a great achievement, it remains to be seen how effective it will be in restricting violence against women.

By going on to win an award on the biggest stage of them all, Obaid has taken a brave step towards making it known that such acts are intolerable.

Will this Oscar win and the subsequent attention on the subject, help bring an end to such barbaric acts?

While it is unfortunate that it took such a humiliating subject to bring Pakistan its first Oscar, is Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy’s Oscar win the biggest moment in the history of Pakistan’s arts and entertainment industry?

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“I think players like Sachin Tendulkar and Rahul Dravid weren’t exactly match winners to start with, nor did they know the art of finishing the game,” Akhtar said on the eve of his book launch in India.

The auto-biography titled “Controversially Yours” is Akhtar at his candid best, and besides Tendulkar many personalities and cricketers come into the cross-hair.

But undoubtedly, the claims putting Tendulkar under the spot-light have managed to ruffle the most feathers, with most experts terming Akhtar’s words as nonsense.

While some members of the press have termed Akhtar “the sales man of the year”, some have put the claims against Tendulkar under the microscope.

The Indian legend’s record speaks for itself but is there any weight behind Akhtar’s claims?

Dawn.com invites its readers to give their view and suggestions.

Faiz is one of the most quoted poets in the country these days, which is a vindication for the gentle soul who was once decried on this very land as a traitor for siding with the oppressed. Today, he also gives expression to the aspirations of the very groups which had openly opposed his thinking, which was as pro-people back then as it is now.

Here, Dawn.com invites you to join the discussion on one of Pakistan’s greatest poets – which poetry of Faiz do you cherish most? Was the poetry of Faiz really ahead of his time?

The early death of this educated and talented actor and producer was one of the major blows to an industry that now lies gasping for air. Murad was born on October 2, 1938, in Karachi and news of his death on November 23, 1983, left many eyes brimming with tears.

He starred in 123 feature films and earned 32 awards for his unmatchable performances.

Whether Murad was making a smooth entry in Armaan singing Ko Ko Korina or flirting with Shabnam as he followed her (rather stylishly in a red convertible) crooning Kuch Log Rooth Kar Bhi, songs were an essential part of his image. To pick from his repertoire of immortal melodies is a difficult task.

Here, Dawn.com lists its top 10 favourite Waheed Murad hits. Let us know which one is your favourite?

Ko Ko Korina from Armaan (1966)

Akele Na Jana from Armaan

Jab Pyar Main Do Dil Miltey Hain from Armaan

Kuch Loag Rooth Kar Bhi from Andaleeb (1969)

Haan Isi Mod Par from Doraha (1967)

Bhooli Hui Hoon Dastaan from Doraha

Mujhe Tum  Nazar Se from Doraha

Tumhain Kaisay Batadoon from Doraha

Ae Abre Karam Aaj Itna Baras from Naseeb Apna Apna (1970)

Dil Ko Jalana Hum Ne Chor Diya from Mohabbat Zindagi Hai (1975)

The following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.

Faiz began his career as a lecturer in English at Amritsar, but switched to journalism after the Second World War. He went on to become the editor of The Pakistan Times. In 1951, he was charged with complicity in the Rawalpindi conspiracy case and imprisoned. It was his four-year term in prison that gave him first-hand experience of the harsh realities of life and provided him with much-needed solitude to translate his thoughts into poetry.

As a poet, Faiz began writing on the conventional themes of love and beauty, but soon these thoughts were submerged in the larger social and political issues of the day. An admirer of Karl Marx, Faiz was also honoured by Soviet Russia with the prestigious ‘Lenin Award for Peace.’

Over the years, Faiz’s poetry has provided hope during the dark days of martial law, even as recently as November 3, 2007, when former president General Pervez Musharraf declared a state of emergency.

Twenty-five years ago, when Faiz passed away at the age of 73, Dawn described him as the ‘greatest Urdu poet of his time,’ who became a living legend for ‘his intrepid struggle against what he himself once described as “the dark and dastardly superstitions of centuries untold”.’

Today, to mark Faiz’s death anniversary, Dawn.com invites its readers to share their favourite lines by the masterful poet and help keep the power of his poetry alive.

The views expressed in the following reader comments do not necessarily reflect the views and policies of the Dawn Media Group.

He released 13 No.1 singles, won 13 Grammy Awards, put out Thriller, the biggest selling album of all time, and sold 750 million records worldwide. His repertoire is sheer genius, each album breaking new musical ground, innovating new musical styles and setting the tone for a generation. Is it possible, then, to have a favourite Michael Jackson song? Can you really choose ‘Thriller’ over ‘Beat It’, or ‘Billie Jean’ over ‘ABC’?

Dawn.com asks its readers to pick their favourite Michael Jackson hit.

Sufi Islam has recently been coming under attack across the country. A number of shrine caretakers in Sindh have been mysteriously murdered. Last week, in Buner, Taliban militants locked down Pir Baba’s shrine and continue to guard its entrance. Last month, Sufi mystic Rehman Baba’s shrine in the outskirts of Peshawar was bombed by militants.

What explains these assaults on the symbols and practitioners of Sufi Islam? Do the militants view Sufism’s continued popularity as a threat? And do you think that it can be effectively used to counter the increasing popularity of hardline Salafi Islam?

Thirty years ago, the nation awoke to learn that ex-Prime Minister Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto had been hanged in Rawalpindi’s central jail. Although most Pakistanis were expecting Mr Bhutto to face severe punishment, no one was prepared for what happened at 2:00 a.m. on April 4, after all the mercy petitions made to General Ziaul Haq were rejected.

Gruesome details of Bhutto’s last hours circulated amongst the public. On April 5, Dawn carried the following description on its front page:

‘[Bhutto] was then told that his cell was about a furlong and half from the gallows, a distance which may be difficult for him to walk, and he should, therefore, lie down in a waiting stretcher to be carried by the jail warders. He protested and said that he would like to walk the distance himself. But he was made to lie down on the stretcher and carried to the gallows by the warders….

Before being taken to the gallows he had a ‘tasbih’ in his hand and was turning its beads and reciting something quietly. The ‘tasbih’ had not been seen with him before. It was either hidden in his luggage or handed over to him by Begum Nusrat Bhutto yesterday…. He did not misbehave or talked loudly till the end. He placed his tasbih round his neck when his hands were tied at his back….

‘Mr Bhutto was handed over to the hangman who tied his legs with a cord, placed the traditional veil on his face and fixed the hanging cord round his neck. His body remained hanging for half an hour.’

Do you remember how you heard about Mr Bhutto’s hanging? Do you have memories of that day, or of your or your family’s reactions to the events? Share memories of what you thought, did, or saw with Dawn.com.