State-run Pakistan Television announced late on Sunday that it will air the action-packed Turkish drama series Resurrection: Ertugrul during the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan.
“The acclaimed Turkish television series @DirilisDizisi is being aired on PTV on the instructions of Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI,” Pakistan Television announced on its official Twitter account.
“Airing will commence from the 1st of Ramazan at 9:10 pm (local time) on PTV Home,” the state-run broadcaster added.
Ramadan is expected to begin in Pakistan on the evening of April 24. PTV News also shared a 44-second promo of the serial with its announcement.
Senator Faisal Javed Khan, a close aide to Prime Minister Imran Khan and chairman of the Senate Standing Committee on Information, Broadcasting and Heritage, praised the production team of TRT and said Ertugrul will air with Urdu dubbing.
Ertugrul @DirilisDizisi in Urdu going on air from 1st Ramazan – Daily at 9.10pm on @PTVHomeOfficial. Actors & Characterization r seamless-storyline & plots r intriguing w/ superb mix of soundtracks.Hats off to the production team @trtworld for such a grt attention to detail work pic.twitter.com/2Z2lGgQHda
— Faisal Javed Khan (@FaisalJavedKhan) April 19, 2020
In September last year, Turkey, Pakistan and Malaysia agreed to jointly fight the rising global trend of Islamophobia, mainly in the West. The three countries also decided to launch a TV channel dedicated to confronting the challenges posed by Islamophobia and to produce films on Muslim heroes.
Prime Minister Khan praised the Turkish historical series and ordered that all five seasons be dubbed in Urdu to make it easy for the general public to watch and understand.
Ali Sahin, a Turkish lawmaker and head of the Turkey-Pakistan Inter-Parliamentary Friendship Group, welcomed PTV’s announcement and thanked the prime minister for this move.
“I also would like to watch @DirilisDizisi on @PTVHomeOfficial in Urdu language…That will be very joyful for me,” Sahin said in a tweet. Responding to Sahin, Faisal Javed Khan also thanked him and said it is an honor for Pakistan to broadcast such a great masterpiece.
Read more: Imran Khan wanted Dirilis Ertugrul in Urdu language: PTV offered its services
“And it’s coming from your home [in Turkey] to your home [in Pakistan], where you studied & lived for many years,” Khan added.
After gaining sweeping popularity in the Middle East, South Africa and surprisingly in South America, Resurrection: Ertugrul has taken over Pakistan as well.
Often described as a Turkish Game of Thrones, the serial is woven around 13th century Anatolia and tells the story prior to the establishment of the Ottoman Empire. It illustrates the struggle of Ertugrul Gazi, father of the empire’s first leader.
Other Turkish TV serials have also become hugely popular in Pakistan.