5-minute plays air Saturdays, repeat Sundays & Mondays
Washington, D.C., September 17, 2009 – The scourge of drug addiction in Pakistan is the theme of a new series of radio dramas on Voice of America's (VOA) Deewa Radio, which broadcasts in Pashto to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.
"Addiction to heroin and hashish is a real problem in Pakistan's tribal areas as well as the country's main cities," says Nafees Takar, Deewa Radio's service chief. "These dramas are meant to be educational."
The series, "A Journey Toward Enlightenment," is written by Pakistani playwright Dr. Humayan Huma and performed by professional Pashto-speaking actors.
Pakistan is a processing center for opium grown in neighboring Afghanistan. Plants in Pakistan convert Afghan poppy crops into heroin, which is sold in Pakistan or smuggled to other countries.
The five-minute radio plays are produced in Pakistan, sent to VOA headquarters in Washington, D.C. and broadcast back to the region. The dramas are broadcast Saturday evening and repeated on Sunday and Monday.
Deewa Radio (www.VOANews.com/deewa/ ) was launched in 2006. The service broadcasts nine hours of original programming daily on shortwave, FM and the Internet. Deewa Radio programs include live news, current affairs, call-in shows, and music.Washington, D.C., September 17, 2009 – The scourge of drug addiction in Pakistan is the theme of a new series of radio dramas on Voice of America's (VOA) Deewa Radio, which broadcasts in Pashto to the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region.
"Addiction to heroin and hashish is a real problem in Pakistan's tribal areas as well as the country's main cities," says Nafees Takar, Deewa Radio's service chief. "These dramas are meant to be educational."
The series, "A Journey Toward Enlightenment," is written by Pakistani playwright Dr. Humayan Huma and performed by professional Pashto-speaking actors.
Pakistan is a processing center for opium grown in neighboring Afghanistan. Plants in Pakistan convert Afghan poppy crops into heroin, which is sold in Pakistan or smuggled to other countries.
The five-minute radio plays are produced in Pakistan, sent to VOA headquarters in Washington, D.C. and broadcast back to the region. The dramas are broadcast Saturday evening and repeated on Sunday and Monday.
(VOA)
