Pakistan Television Corporation (; reporting name: PTV), also known as Pakistan Television, is the Pakistani public broadcaster based in Islamabad, Pakistan, which comprises a number of TV channels. In 1961, the private sector media mogul and industrialist Syed Wajid Ali launched a television industrial development project, bringing the role of Ubaidur Rahman, an electrical engineer in the Engineering Division of Radio Pakistan, as the project director of the first television station in Lahore. the first-ever news broadcast was done on 26 November 1964 after an introduction by Syed Wajid Ali which was beamed as a black and white transmission by the PTV. The first programme, formatted by Thomson Television International, telecast amateur programmes with foreign films; the television division in the Punjab Province was established with the help of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), the Colombo Plan, and the Government of Japan. Private industries commercials were permitted with no fee; initially all the commercials of industrial conglomerates were tax-free with no additional charges. followed by Dacca on 25 December 1964 (then the capital of East Pakistan; renamed Bangladesh Television in 1971), a third centre was established in Rawalpindi and Islamabad in 1965 and the fourth in Karachi in 1966.

Promotion of regional literature, science-fiction miniseries, country music, and romanticizing rural values in drama playwrights were on-aired by the PTV, at the behest of public funding by the Government of Pakistan. The PTV was considered as source of major national integration. Regional headquarters of PTV and television centers were established in Peshawar and Quetta in 1974. During this time, the PTV's interview programming series brought many scientists, politicians, sportsmen, actors, musicians, and artists to public fame. During 1980s, the conservative ideas were promoted on the PTV as part of the government policy, and heavy investments were made on the promotion of education programming series.

Controversies

The PTV, being the state broadcaster, has exclusive access to telecast the parliamentary sessions through its PTV Parliament channel. The PTV Parliament has sustained criticism of censoring the critique and speeches critical to the ruling party by the opposition leaders on several occasions. During March 2024, the PTV Parliament censored the speeches and critiques of politicians, Akhtar Mengal, Asad Qaiser, Mahmood Khan Achakzai, and Omar Ayub Khan when they spoke of the Pakistani military's interference in the political process.

Channels

PTV operates the following channels:

  • PTV Home – 24-hour HD Entertainment channel (the original PTV also called as PTV ONE), the transmission is broadcast across Pakistan on terrestrial network and worldwide through satellite. The content of the terrestrial and satellite channel is different, for example, terrestrial programming includes live telecast of Pakistan's cricket matches but satellite channel cannot broadcast these matches.
  • PTV News – 24-hour Urdu HD News Channel which can be viewed in many parts of the globe. Replaced PTV World in 2007.
  • PTV Teleschool - Launched on 14 April 2020, to compensate for academic loss in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Pakistan TV Digital- A <mark>state-owned, independent English-language global news channel</mark> launched on September 17, 2025, by Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif to combat propaganda and provide authentic, Pakistani-focused news to an international audience. Operated by the Pakistan Television Corporation, it functions independently to deliver digital news and content.

PTV Films Division

On 9 June 2022 Minister of Information and Broadcasting Marriyum Aurangzeb and PTV launches PTV Films Division along with another initiative was being launched by the name of PTV Flix which would feature the 75 years of rich content in the form of dramas, films and other genres in the archives of PTV. The purpose of these is to bring films to the PTV screen but also to generate quality content in the country.

Training academy

Established in 1987, Pakistan Television Academy is an apex TV institution in Pakistan, which imparts professional training in disciplines of television broadcast technology. It is headed by a full-time director and assisted by a team of television professionals who are members of the academic faculty.

  • Agha Nasir – PTV Producer/Director of Programming at Lahore Centre
  • Ashfaq Ahmed – author of PTV drama serials
  • Zia Mohyeddin – anchorperson on PTV Shows in the 1970s
  • Tariq Aziz - Host of the longest running quiz show
  • Muneeza Hashmi – producer of PTV Programs in the 1970s; daughter of renowned poet Faiz Ahmed Faiz
  • Fazila Qazi
  • Firdous Jamal – TV actor
  • Qavi Khan – TV actor
  • Kashif Mehmood – TV actor
  • Irfan Khoosat – TV actor
  • Ayesha Sana – TV actress
  • Nauman Ejaz – TV actor
  • Anwar Maqsood - Host
  • Bushra Ansari - Actress
  • Sohail Rana - Musician. Kalion ki Mala program
  • Moin Akhter – TV comedian
  • Sohail Ahmed – TV comedian
  • Tariq Aziz – TV host
  • Shoaib Mansoor – TV producer-director
  • Ayub Khawar – TV director
  • Mahmood Ali - Actor
  • Behroze Sabzwari -Actor
  • Roohi Bano - Actress
  • Khalida Riyasat -Actress
  • Amjad Islam Amjad – author of PTV dramas
  • Ghayyur Akhtar – TV actor
  • Haseena Moin - author of PTV dramas
  • Munnu Bhai – author of PTV dramas
  • Rashid Mehmood – TV actor
  • Obaidullah Baig – TV host
  • Siddiq Ismail – Naat Khawan
  • Dildar Pervaiz Bhatti – TV host
  • Mumtaz Hamid Rao – director of news
  • Fatima Surayya Bajia – TV drama writer
  • Javed Jabbar – TV film director
  • Mehreen Jabbar – TV film director
  • Mohammed Ehteshamuddin
  • Tufail Niazi – renowned folk singer and PTV performer
  • Anwar Sajjad – author of PTV dramas
  • Kazim Pasha
  • Rauf Khalid
  • Zafar Mairaj
  • Syed Bilal Naqvi Producer and Director
  • Tauseeq Haider
  • Mustansar Hussain Tarar – PTV anchorperson
  • Alam Lohar – renowned folk singer and PTV performer
  • Mahpara Safdar - newscaster
  • Suraiya Shahab, newscaster
  • Azhar Lodhi, newscaster
  • Khalid Hameed, newscaster
  • Abdus Salam, newscaster

See also

  • List of television stations in Pakistan
  • List of television programmes broadcast by the PTV

References