Hamid Mir interview of Zardari taken off air
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 2 July 2019
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Hamid Mir's interview with former President Zardari was cut short by Geo Television. The incident has sparked concerns over press freedom in Pakistan.Summary
ISLAMABAD — Hamid Mir’s interview of former President Asif Ali Zardari was taken off air on Monday shortly after its broadcast began on Geo Television.
Regulator PEMRA said it had no hand in off airing the interview.
Mir, one of Pakistan’s most prominent presenters, apologized to viewers for the unexpected and abrupt ending: “I can only say sorry to my viewers that an interview was started and stopped on Geo News I will share the details soon, but it’s easy to understand who stopped it? We are not living in a free country.”
I can only say sorry to my viewers that an interview was started and stopped on Geo New I will share the details soon but it’s easy to understand who stopped it?We are not living in a free country
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) July 1, 2019
In another tweet, he asked if Zardari was a “bigger criminal than Ehsanullah Ehsan, former spokesman of TTP.”
What’s wrong in it?I asked some questions to ex President of Pakistan Asif Ali Zardari he responded?Is he bigger criminal than Ehsanullah Ehsan former spokesman of TTP?Remember Ehsanullah Ehsan gave interview from official custody I interviewed Asif Zardari in Parliament House pic.twitter.com/3PqaG2qydx
— Hamid Mir (@HamidMirPAK) July 1, 2019
International watchdog — the Committee to Protect Journalists — termed it an outrageous infringement on freedom of the press.
Meanwhile, Mir, in another tweet, disclosed that he was to appear in a DawnNews TV show about the Zardari interview at 11:00 pm. He received a call that the program team of Zara Hat Kay was under pressure not to have him on the show. “They said sorry I said thank you somebody running and controlling Pakistan on telephone calls.”
KEY POINTS:
- Hamid Mir's interview with Zardari aired briefly before being stopped.
- PEMRA denied involvement in the decision to take the interview off air.
- The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the incident.
- Mir criticized the lack of press freedom in Pakistan.
- He was later pressured not to appear on another TV program regarding the interview.
