I waited very long for kindness, space, and recognition.
Veteran broadcaster Ishrat Fatima has stepped away from Radio Pakistan, ending a broadcasting career that spanned 45 years of national service.
Her farewell announcement aired on Radio Pakistan News, where she delivered an emotional message acknowledging audiences who trusted her voice for decades.
She described the decision as deeply painful, thanking listeners, the institution, her parents, and her Creator for constant support.
Fatima avoided specifics during the broadcast, only saying she always tried fulfilling her professional responsibility with honesty, effort, and love.
A day later, she shared a detailed explanation through a thirteen-minute video uploaded on her personal YouTube channel.
In the video, she traced her journey back to 1983, when her career in radio and television formally began.
She explained that reading Urdu news bulletins was never just employment, but an art she nurtured with devotion.
She said: “I always wished that until my voice stayed strong and my breath steady, I would keep reading the news.”
For Fatima, broadcasting was not merely a skill but an emotional bond formed through language, rhythm, and responsibility.
She revealed that over time, she was repeatedly made to feel unwanted within the organisation she once called home.
Visibly emotional, she explained how sustained professional pressure eventually forced her toward such a drastic decision.
Fatima said: “People stop competing through work and instead try destroying the space where you exist.”
She described being cornered despite merit and experience, leaving her feeling stripped of dignity and purpose.
Fatima said she waited patiently for the environment to improve, hoping respect, fairness, and seniority would be restored.
She shared in the video: “I waited very long for kindness, space, and recognition, but it never came.”
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She characterised Radio Pakistan as an institution of walls rather than people, lacking empathy and emotional understanding.
According to her, had the organisation attempted to stop her, she would never have chosen to resign.
She expressed that a simple gesture of care or acknowledgement could have altered her decision entirely.
Despite the heartbreak, Fatima assured audiences she would remain connected through social media and YouTube storytelling.
Tributes poured in following her resignation, with journalists and broadcasters publicly honouring her contributions.
Asma Shirazi called her an icon and role model, praising her discipline and influence on generations.
Zahid Ghiskhori and Ahmed Najeeb Satti also expressed concern over veterans being pushed aside unjustly.
Ishrat Fatima’s departure has reignited conversations about respect, merit, and institutional treatment of senior professionals nationwide.
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