JournalismPakistan.com | Published 2 years ago
Join our WhatsApp channel
ISLAMABAD—ARY’s anchorperson Waseem Badami has offered a half-hearted apology for sharing a private WhatsApp conversation of Babar Azam, captain of the Pakistan cricket team, with an official of Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB).
The sharing of private WhatsApp conversations in a discussion on ARY led to sharp criticism and condemnations.
Even when during the talk show the conversation was shared, former captain Azhar Ali pointed out that for sharing it, permission should have been sought from Babar. Basit Ali, a former test player, also backed Azhar.
In a video message, Badami admitted it was a bad decision. However, he said just five minutes before the show went live, Zaka Ashraf, the chairman of PCB, allowed for the conversation to be aired.
The controversy generated #BoycottARY hashtag.
“It was not one of the best decisions,” Badami said afterward. The airing of the private WhatsApp conservation seemed to respond to a claim by former Captain Rashid Latif in which he said Babar was trying to contact Zaka but was getting no response.
November 01, 2025: Pakistan Press Foundation reports 137 attacks on journalists in 2025, highlighting rising threats, legal harassment, and censorship on the International Day to End Impunity.
November 01, 2025: A viral Samaa TV clip featuring MNA Sher Afzal Marwat’s crude remarks and Talat Hussain’s laughter raises questions about the declining ethics of Pakistani television.
October 31, 2025: Police foiled a plot to kill DawnNewsTV journalist Tahir Naseer in Rawalpindi after arresting suspects hired for Rs200,000. Naseer says threats followed his reporting.
October 31, 2025: CPJ calls on Pakistan to bring Imtiaz Mir’s killers to justice after the journalist was allegedly murdered by a banned militant group in Karachi.
October 30, 2025: The PFUJ has condemned a fabricated drug case against journalist Matiullah Jan, calling it an attempt to silence him and urging authorities to quash the charges immediately.
October 30, 2025: NewsOne TV remains on air but faces mass layoffs and delayed salaries, exposing Pakistan’s worsening media crisis and financial instability.
October 28, 2025: Sindh Police arrested four suspects linked to a banned outfit in the murder of journalist Imtiaz Mir, who was shot in Karachi in September 2025.
October 26, 2025: Riffat Ara Alvi, the mother of slain Pakistani journalist Arshad Sharif, has died, ending her relentless fight for justice following his killing in Kenya in 2022.
November 01, 2025 Belarus court jails journalist Siarhei Chabotska for extremism and defaming the president, highlighting Minsk’s ongoing crackdown on press freedom.
November 01, 2025 Mexican journalist Miguel Angel Beltran was found murdered in Durango. CPJ urges authorities to ensure justice amid rising violence against journalists in Mexico.
November 01, 2025 UNESCO survey finds one-third of media lawyers cannot effectively defend journalists due to threats, limited resources, and lack of specialization.
October 31, 2025 Radio Free Asia, a US government-funded broadcaster covering tightly controlled Asian media environments, has suspended all news operations after federal funding dried up.
October 30, 2025 PSL franchise fees lag far behind IPL's USD 18.5B valuation as Pakistan Cricket Board's bureaucratic grip stifles growth. Hard numbers expose a stark reality.