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Afghanistan’s Shamshad TV joins Asiasat 2
MUMBAI: Asian satellite communicatsion service provider Asiasat has announced that it has signed a deal with Shamshad TV of Afghanistan.
The deal is a lease agreement for the use of C-band capacity on Asiasat 2 to distribute the channel to all broadcast networks across Afghanistan and countries in Central Asia, the Middle East, South Asia and other parts of Asia.
Shamshad TV has commenced free-to-air broadcasting on Asiasat 2, offering programming in English, Dari and Pashto languages 24 hours a day of content including news, entertainment and
educational programmes.
Shamshad TV president Fazel Karim Fazel says, “Following the launch of terrestrial broadcast across our country earlier this year, we are very excited to put our service on Asiasat 2 satellite that further extends our coverage area to both urban and rural areas of Afghanistan, and brings our services abroad, serving overseas audience in more 50 countries and regions across the Asia Pacific. We trust that Asiasat 2’s well established penetration across Asia and Australasia would give us the best audience access and tremendously increase our local and overseas viewership”.
Asiasat CEO Peter Jackson says, “We are very pleased to welcome Shamshad TV, our first broadcast customer from Afghanistan, on board Asiasat 2. With the addition of this new channel onto Asiasat 2’s exciting line up of international programming, the satellite has firmly established itself as Asia’s most popular multilingual and multicultural platform for broadcast services across the region”
Shamshad TV is available on Asiasat 2 in C-band with the following reception parameters:
Transponder: 4A
Frequency: 3790.75 MHz
Polarisation: Vertical
Modulation: QPSK
Symbol Rate: 2.444 Msym/sec
FEC: 3/4
About Shamshad TV
Shamshad TV was launched early this year from Kabul. The channel provides educational, news, and entertainment programmes in English, Dari and Pashto languages. Its production studio and broadcast station are located in Kabul and provide digital terrestrial transmission and satellite transmission to both urban and rural areas of Afghanistan as well as other countries in Central Asia, South Asia and the Middle East.
NEW DELHI: Hamdard Laboratories gathered a cross-section of India’s achievers in New Delhi on Friday, handing out the Hakeem Abdul Hameed Excellence Awards to figures who have left their mark across healthcare, education, sport, public service and the arts.
The ceremony, attended by minister of state for defence Sanjay Seth and senior officials from the ministry of Ayush, celebrated individuals whose work blends professional success with a sense of public purpose. It was as much a roll call of achievement as it was a reminder that influence is not measured only in profits or podiums, but in people reached and lives improved.
Among the headline awardees was Alakh Pandey, founder and chief executive of PhysicsWallah, recognised for turning affordable digital learning into a mass movement. On the sporting front, Arjuna Awardee and kabaddi player Sakshi Puniya was honoured for her contribution to the game and for pushing women’s participation onto bigger stages.
The cultural spotlight fell on veteran lyricist and poet Santosh Anand, whose songs have echoed across generations of Hindi cinema. At 97, Anand accepted the honour with characteristic humility, reflecting on a life shaped by perseverance and hope.
Healthcare honours spanned both modern and traditional systems. Manoj N. Nesari was recognised for strengthening Ayurveda’s place in national and global health frameworks. Padma shri Mohammed Abdul Waheed was honoured for his research-backed work in Unani medicine, while padma shri Mohsin Wali received recognition for his long-standing contribution to patient-centred care.
Education and social development also featured prominently. Padma shri Zahir Ishaq Kazi was honoured for decades of work in education, while former Meghalaya superintendent of Police T. C. Chacko was recognised for public service. Goonj founder Anshu Gupta received an award for his dignity-centred rural development initiatives, and the Hunar Shakti Foundation was honoured for empowering women and young girls through skill development.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went to former IAS officer Shailaja Chandra for her long career in public healthcare and governance, particularly in the traditional systems under Ayush.
Speaking at the event, Hamdard chairman Abdul Majeed said the awards were a tribute to those who combine excellence with empathy. “These awardees reflect Hakeem Sahib’s belief that healthcare, education and public service must ultimately serve humanity,” he said.
Minister Seth struck a forward-looking note, saying India’s young population gives the country a unique opportunity to become a global destination for learning, health and wellness by 2047.
The ceremony also featured the trailer launch of Unani Ki Kahaani, an upcoming documentary starring actor Jim Sarbh, set to premiere on Discovery on 11 February.
Instituted in memory of Unani scholar and educationist Hakeem Abdul Hameed, the awards have grown into a national platform that celebrates those building a more inclusive and resilient India. For one evening at least, the spotlight was not just on success, but on service with substance.
