Senior news anchor and broadcaster Ishrat Fatima, who made her mark with Pakistan Television’s newscasts, has announced the end of her 45-year-long association with Radio Pakistan.
The decision has left media circles and her fans emotional, as Ishrat Fatima’s name has been considered a symbol of credible and serious news reporting in Pakistan for decades.
Ishrat Fatima shared a video of her last newscast with Radio Pakistan on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), in which she bid farewell to the audience and said that she was saying goodbye to her 45-year association. She said that she deeply thanked Radio Pakistan and the audience, who supported her on this long journey.
Last day on Radio Pakistan
— Ishrat Fatima (@OfficialIshrat) January 13, 2026
App sab ke pyar ka shukria mere social media (YouTube, Instagram, X, threads , Facebook) peh connect rahaiye ga agay ke safar ke liye pic.twitter.com/gEguA3m0lc
Later, in a 13-minute video message, Ishrat Fatima spoke openly about the background of her decision. She said that this decision was extremely difficult for her and she was under severe mental pressure. According to her, she prayed to Allah before making this decision to make it better and easier for her.
Ishrat Fatima said that her regular journey of news reading began in 1984, while she has been associated with radio and television since 1983. She said that reading news has not been just a profession for her but a passion, love and obsession, and it continues to be so today. She clarified that her voice, pronunciation, health and work capacity have not decreased and she has always been punctual and sincere in her work.
She complained that despite this, she was not provided with proper opportunities to work. According to her, she was repeatedly declared a senior and a legend, but in practice her hard work and experience could not get the place that she deserved. Ishrat Fatima said that she was repeatedly made to feel that she was no longer needed, which was a very painful experience for her.
Ishrat Fatima said that she waited for a long time for things to improve, but finally she had to decide to leave Radio Pakistan. However, she assured her fans that she would not completely disappear from the scene and would stay in touch with her fans through social media, sharing her memories and experiences.
It should be noted that Ishrat Fatima has been awarded high awards like Pride of Pakistan and Tamgha-e-Imtiaz by the Government of Pakistan in recognition of her outstanding services. She has been the anchor of Pakistan Television’s famous 9 pm Urdu news program, while her career started with Radio Pakistan’s program ‘Khel Aur Khiladi’. Her fluent Urdu, impressive voice and dignified style brought her a prominent position in the 1980s and 1990s.