Tag: Hamid Mir

  • The real story behind Imran Khan sitting on CM Punjab seat

    The real story behind Imran Khan sitting on CM Punjab seat

    Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan met Chief Minister (CM) Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and former federal minister Moonis Elahi at the Chief Minister’s Office on Sunday in Lahore and discussed matters of mutual interest, the political situation, the administrative affairs of Punjab, and the law and order situation.

    A picture of their meeting was shared by Moonis Elahi on social media where Khan can be seen sitting on the CM’s seat while the chief minister sat opposite him. The picture went viral and was widely criticised by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders.

    “No self-respecting, dignified man would sit on someone else’s official seat/chair but this man is hungry for power,” tweeted Defence Minister Khawaja Asif.

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    “Rude Tosha Fitna Khan sits on the chair of Chief Minister of Punjab,” tweeted PML-N leader Saad Rafique.

    The real story

    However, senior journalist Hamid Mir explained the real reason why Khan was sitting on the CM seat.

    Hamid Mir said that when Khan reached Elahi’s office to congratulate him, Pervaiz Elahi asked the PTI chairman to sit on the CM seat but Khan replied that it is Elahi’s seat.

    Moonis Elahi said to the PTI chairman that they got this seat because of him, so he should sit on it. After Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and Moonis Elahi’s insistence, finally Imran Khan sat on the chair of the Punjab Chief Minister.

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘PPP was offered to bring down PML-N with the help of PTI’: Hamid Mir
    
			
    ‘PPP was offered to bring down PML-N with the help of PTI’: Hamid Mir
    
			
    Senior journalist Hamid Mir revealed that last year, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) was offered that along to give a tough time to the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with the help of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after some backdoor meetings. 
    

    Speaking on Geo News programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, Hamid Mir said, “The PPP knows the full truth. Last year, the PPP convinced the PML-N to bring a no-confidence motion. This is because last year in September/October, the PPP was contacted. I revealed in your show Shahzeb saab that Asif Ali Zardari was being contacted to leave Pakistan just like Nawaz Sharif left on medical grounds. However, Asif Ali Zardari refused to go abroad. This is where the story started and the PPP has never revealed who conveyed this message. One-on-one meetings were held with the PPP leadership.”
    

    Hamid Mir further revealed that some backchannel contacts were made between the PPP and PTI. 
    

    

    

    

    

    		
    

    
	

    

    

    

    

    

    

    “The PPP was told that it should bring down the PML-N with the help of the PTI. However, the PPP did not take any of this seriously. After this, there were some other developments. They learned that a formula was being formed to adjust PTI in Sindh and similarly the PPP in the federal government, and that election will be held in October 2022. However, an important appointment will take place in April 2022. When the party started probing the suggestions, it realised that this was a long process. During this time Kala Bagh Dam was also to be made, the 18 Amendment would be rolled back, and talks of having a Presidential system too came to the surface and that’s when PPP ki kanpaain tangna shuru hogai. [That’s when the PPP was alarmed].”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “When the PPP realised this, they decided to contact Nawaz Sharif. Then Shehbaz Sharif saab was involved. And they were informed that before the elections, which were to be held in 0ctober 2022, the plan was to send the PML-N leadership to jail,” said Mir. 
    

    “Both the PPP and PML-N never really told anyone that they were bringing in the no-confidence motion against Imran Khan. They kept it a secret.”
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    Parts of the ‘threatening letter’ may have been forged: claims Hamid Mir
    
			
    Parts of the ‘threatening letter’ may have been forged: claims Hamid Mir
    
			
    Journalist and Anchorperson Hamid Mir, while appearing on Geo News, has claimed that sources in the Foreign Office told him parts of the ‘threatening letter’ may have been forged.
    

    “The document on the basis of which Prime Minister Imran Khan has dissolved assemblies and President has notified it, that document is not original,” said Mir while talking about the ‘threatening’ letter.  
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Senior Journalist Asma Sherazi took to Twitter to question who would be responsible for Pakistan being ridiculed all over the world and who will fix the country’s reputation?
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Journalist Hasan Zaidi referred to the claim by Hamid Mir as a “new twist.” 
    

    

    


    

    

    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Political unrest’: Will there be a clash between govt and Opposition?
    
			
    ‘Political unrest’: Will there be a clash between govt and Opposition?
    
			
    The federal capital is bracing for trouble as both government and Opposition are in full action. Since the no-confidence motion has been submitted, the political chessboard has been a mess.
    

    From witnessing a thundering prime minister and rather threatening federal ministers to equally vocal Opposition leaders, Pakistan politics has had much to offer in the month of March. Political analysts are calling the government ‘rather desperate’ and the Opposition ‘aggressive’.
    

    Who will win the tug of war to power is yet to be decided as Islamabad might witness two long marches, the OIC, Pakistan Day Parade, and the vote of the no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan.
    

    Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will enter Islamabad on March 25 instead of March 23.
    

    PM Khan has announced to hold a historic gathering on March 27.
    

    The Current reached out to political analysts and senior journalists and asked whether there will be a clash on March 27.
    

    The government is not going in the right direction: Hamid Mir
    

    Senior journalist Hamid Mir, while speaking with The Current, said that seeing how Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is doing its governance, the government is not headed in the right direction.
    

    There will definitely be a clash: Asma Shirazi
    

    Senior political analyst Asma Shirazi said that seeing the unrest in the country, a clash between the government and opposition is “definitely possible”.
    

    Shirazi said that seeing the ministers and how they are reacting and giving statements, it seems unlikely that a clash can be avoided. “The government needs to understand that maintaining law and order is highly important,” said Shirazi.
    

    Agar million na bhi aye, 10 hazar bhi aye tu system ko khatra hai: Sabir Shakir
    

    Anchorperson Sabir Shakir said that both the government and Opposition want a power show. Their display of power will be the problem.
    

    Commenting on how the government officials are saying that they will gather one million people on D-Chowk on March 27, Shakir said, “Agar million na bhi ain, 10 hazar bhi aye tu system ko khatra hai [Even if a million people don’t turn up, 10 thousand people too can prove dangerous for law and order.]”
    

    Followers of PM Khan learn from his misbehaving tone and apply the same: Sana Bucha
    

    Journalist Sana Bucha categorically said that Pakistan Tehreek-e- Insaf and Prime Minister Imran Khan seem rather aggressive and desperate right now. In the past, we have seen them misbehaving and even now PM Khan is saying that the people of Pakistan need to do ‘Jihad’ against the Opposition, she said.
    

    “The followers of PM Khan learn from his misbehaving tone and apply the same [when given a chance],” said Bucha.
    

    “I am very certain that batamizi will happen,” added Bucha.
    

    If all is well and the house is in order, why is the government trying to be hostile: Ajmal Jami
    

    Anchorperson Ajmal Jami, commenting on the recent political temperature, questioned the government for showing aggression.
    

    “If all is well and the house is in order, why is the government trying to be hostile?” questioned Jami.
    

    Jami also commented on the PML-Q leader Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain’s statement where he asked the government and Opposition to call off the long marches as it was not the job of the government to hold marches. Jami said that it was a heavy statement.
    

    “Chaudhry’s statement carried a lot of importance and weightage here, the government must not take it as a filler but consider it by all means,” said Jami.
    

    There is worry and tension on the government’s end: Ayesha Baksh
    

    Anchorperson Ayesha Baksh has said that both the Opposition and the government are challenging each other.
    

    “There is worry and tension on the government’s end,” said Baksh.
    

    “All concerned people should be active in the federal capital, the government is bringing matters on the road,” said Baksh.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘New Prime Minister?’: Who will replace Imran Khan if there is a coup in the party?
    
			
    ‘New Prime Minister?’: Who will replace Imran Khan if there is a coup in the party?
    
			
    Is Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) pitted against itself? Are there  signs of trouble ahead? Fingers are being pointed towards the leader from within the party. Blame and questions are being allegedly hurled at the premier. Something is up in the capital and people have started talking. They’re saying that it is possible that Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan can be replaced as prime minister by someone else in the party itself.
    

    PM Khan and Defence Minister and former Chief Minister (CM) of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Pervez Khattak on Thursday allegedly exchanged bitter words during the parliamentary party meeting chaired by the premier himself.
    

    Reports of a clash between the premier and the PTI leader spread like wildfire within the media. It was reported that Pervez Khattak during the meeting said, “we have made you the prime minister.”
    

    “Gas is banned in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we generate gas and electricity and we are the ones who are suffering,” said Khattak, adding, “We will not be able to get votes if this is your attitude.”
    

    Khattak told media persons after the meeting that he neither talked harshly to the prime minister nor hurled any threat of not voting for PM Khan.
    

    “No one spoke harshly, I spoke for my right,” said Khattak.
    

    The damage had been done and to remove a prime minister, a no-confidence motion has to be brought in Parliament. Some analysts think that the wheels are already in motion.
    

    The Current reached out to political analysts and senior journalists to ask their opinion as to who could replace PM Khan if the rumours of a change in command were true.
    

    Senior journalist Hamid Mir shedding light on the recent squabble within the party leadership said, “Imran Khan will remain head of the PTI because the party is registered in his name but the revolt of Khattak may break the party. Khattak can muster support from the Opposition easily.”
    

    Resident Editor Dawn Fahd Husain terming a coup within PTI an ‘unlikely scenario’ said, “A coup in PTI is an unlikely scenario at this moment. It seems unlikely that the party can coalesce behind any one person except PM Imran Khan.”
    

    Journalist and Analyst Asma Shirazi talking about the dynamic political milieu in Pakistan said, “Will be too early to guess, things are changing every moment.”
    

    Analyst Mehmal Sarfraz commenting on the recent rift in the PTI said, “There may be many contenders for the PM slot — as there are in other political parties — but there is no PTI without Imran Khan. I don’t think PM Khan can be replaced. Whoever tries to ‘replace’ him will have to leave the party first.”
    

    Senior journalist and anchorperson Sabir Shakir responding with a Persian quote said, “ہنوذ دِلی دُور اَست [The heart is still far away].
    

    Columnist Hafeezullah Niazi while commenting on the verbal altercation between the PTI leaders said, “In case of change within PTI, Pervez Khattak will replace Imran Khan,” adding, “Establishment is already tipping Pervez Khattak to replace Imran Khan as prime minister.”
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Fifth Floor wala’: Hamid Mir takes a dig at Arnab Goswami ahead of Pak vs India match
    
			
    ‘Fifth Floor wala’: Hamid Mir takes a dig at Arnab Goswami ahead of Pak vs India match
    
			
    Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has trolled controversial Indian journalist Arnab Goswami, who is also known for his misreporting.
    

    Taking to Twitter Mir wrote: “Arrrey… Jasoos Kabootar… and who is this Indian anchor?…. 5th floor wala?”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    The advertisement by Digi Khata, has trolled Indian media citing Indian Media’s misreporting over arresting a Pakistani pigeon 2015 terming it as a Pakistani spy.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Meanwhile, Goswami was earlier trolled on social media when he lied about the presence of the Pakistan Army officers in Kabul Serena to fight in Panjshir Valley.
    

    It is pertinent to mention here that Pakistan will open their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign against arch-rivals India in Dubai (Sunday) on October 24.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    President Alvi addresses joint session in NA amid media protest
    
			
    President Dr Arif Alvi addressed a joint sitting of parliament on Monday, marking the start of the fourth parliamentary year of the National Assembly amid chaos outside parliament.
    

    The President of Pakistan congratulated the members of parliament at the start of the new legislative year and expressed hope that democratic values and the “tradition of tolerance” flourish in Pakistan.
    

    Amid loud protests by the Opposition, President Alvi said: “Despite you making noise, you will have to accept the reality.” 
    

    Dr Alvi briefly discussed the country’s progress and shed light on various topics.
    

    Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs)
    

    President Alvi stressed the need to introduce electoral reforms in order to bring transparency to elections in Pakistan.
    

    Financial Action Task Force (FATF)
    

    “People paying tax in such large numbers shows complete trust in government policies,” Alvi said, congratulating the government for devising and implementing laws and procedures to address FATF requirements.
    

    Sexual harassment cases 
    

    Alvi said the government had paid “special attention” to the rights of women.
    

    “In recent days, incidents of sexual violence against women emerged due to which everyone is sad and I think it is a national responsibility to take steps to curb such incidents,” he said.
    

    President Alvi added that the government had taken measures to stop such violence and it was also society’s responsibility to play its role. “Making videos while an [harassment] incident is taking place does not suit the Pakistani society, so it will have to protect women so they can wander freely.”
    

    Corruption 
    

    Because of corruption and wrong priorities, we were not only deprived of progress but also left behind in the world in human development indicators,” Alvi said.
    

    Health Sector
    

    He said that “18 million families were benefitting from the health cards so far”.
    

    “Pakistan is going towards universal health coverage, he added while praising the government’s efforts,” he concluded.
    

    Kamyab Jawan Programme
    

    The President noted that the government had set aside Rs260bn through which 12 million families will be given cash income, while Rs100bn had been earmarked for the Kamyab Jawan Programme to give loans to the youth to start businesses.
    

    Opposition walkout 
    

    During his address, the Opposition kept booing and at last walked out of the session.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    The Opposition also accused the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and National Assembly (NA) Speaker Asad Qaiser of violating the Constitution by not allowing a debate on the presidential address through­out the third parliamentary year, which ended on August 13.
    

    Politicians including Shehbaz sharif Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, Sherry Rehman, Mian Raza Rabbani and Ahsan Iqbal joined the protest and showed solidarity with the journalists.
    

    “Thanks to all friends and well-wishers who were sending messages of solidarity the whole night whole day, we just finished a 24 hours protest camp in front of the parliament against threats to media and new proposed law for legalising censorship in Pakistan,” Hamid Mir tweeted, mentioning the end of the protest.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    President Alvi did not mention the journalists’ protest against the Pakistan Media Development Authority (PMDA).
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘The gun is already placed on their head’: Hamid Mir on being  banned by Geo
    
			
    ‘The gun is already placed on their head’: Hamid Mir on being  banned by Geo
    
			
    In an interview with Stephen Sackur on BBC HARDtalk, senior journalist Hamid Mir talked about why he was banned on Geo News, press freedom, censorship under Prime Minister Imran Khan, attacks on journalists, and how he is worried for his own safety in Pakistan.
    

    Disappointment on being off-air
    

    Stephen Sackur questioned Hamid Mir as to how disappointed he was with his employers [Geo News] and the Jang group who did not stand by him. Sackur also questioned how Mir felt that he had lost his voice and platform as a journalist because he was suspended from his channel.
    

    Mir said he was certainly disappointed but did understand the circumstances under which the decision was taken place.
    

    “Mir Shakil ur Rehman was arrested last year and he remained in the detention of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) for more than seven months for a three-decade-old case, which was not a very big case. And I think that he was arrested, he was detained, just because of the freedom he was trying to give us. He got bail from the Supreme Court but his name was placed on the Exit Control List. He cannot leave Pakistan. He is already being held at gunpoint. So, my employers, the gun is already at their head. So when they were asked to ban Hamid Mir, they banned me. So I can understand their problem,” replied Mir.
    

    Imran Khan is a helpless Prime Minister
    

    The BBC host asked Mir that in the past he had a friendly relationship with PM Imran Khan so did he ever think that PM Imran personally wanted to see him taken off-air.
    

    Hamid replied, “It’s a very difficult question for me to respond [to], but I will try to very honestly. Imran Khan stood by me in 2007 when I was banned by General Pervez Musharraf, and yes at that time he was the biggest supporter of media freedom in Pakistan. Yes, I provided him a lot of space on my TV shows because he was in the Opposition, and you can say that I was friendly with him when he was in the Opposition. But when he became PM, I started raising questions. I even met him personally, and I asked him that your government should provide more space to the media because you are the biggest beneficiary of media freedom.”
    

    “One of my interviews with the former president, Asif Ali Zardari, was banned on my show, on my TV channel and some other Opposition leaders were also banned on different TV channels. So we started criticising Imran Khan and so I think he was not happy with my criticism.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “The second part of your question is very important. I think that Imran Khan is not directly responsible for imposing a ban on me. And I don’t think he wants me to be off-air. But like past prime ministers, he is not a very powerful prime minister and I think he is helpless and he can’t help me,” said Mir.
    

    Concerned about my personal security
    

    Sackur questioned Mir if he feared the toxic environment in Pakistan and how concerned was he about his personal safety in the country after two assassination attempts on him. Mir answered, “Yes, I am very concerned about my personal security for a long time. I asked my family to leave Pakistan and my family left, my daughter and wife have already left. I was also approached by some people who suggested I leave Pakistan. But I decided not to leave.”
    

    Ready to face imprisonment
    

    The HARDtalk host asked Hamid Mir if he was ready to face imprisonment for the accusations against him, to which Mir responded, ” Yes, and I am ready to face life imprisonment because if they will be able to convict me at least the whole world will come to know what is going on in Pakistan. The whole world is already aware of what is going on in Pakistan because I am a living example of censorship in Pakistan. Everybody knows what happened to Hamid Mir and why he is banned and everybody knows the names of the people which I have not mentioned, everybody knows who was responsible for imposing a ban on me.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “The common Pakistanis are very wise, they are very clever. They know each and everything about what’s going on. But you see, there is no rule of law in Pakistan. And we only want justice, we want that the rule of law should be established in Pakistan. And if a journalist is asking questions, don’t try to silence his voice,” added Mir.
    

    State of media freedom in Pakistan
    

    Stephen Sackur questioned Mir whether there was a climate of fear in Pakistan when it comes to journalists or journalism. 
    

    “Yes, definitely, there is a climate of fear in Pakistan. A lot of young journalists, they are very disappointed and look at the state of media freedom in Pakistan. When Mr Imran Khan became prime minister in 2018 Pakistan was ranked at 139 on the World Press Freedom Index. Today, in 2021, when I am talking to you, it is 145. So Pakistan lost six points in the last three years,” said Mir.
    

    He further added, “According to the International Federation of Journalists, Pakistan is one of the five most dangerous countries for journalists in the whole world. This is not good for Pakistan, for its reputation and credibility in the international community. And yes, there is a climate of fear in Pakistan because Pakistani journalists think journalism is becoming very difficult in this country and this government of Imran Khan [is] now planning some more anti-media laws which is not acceptable to us.”
    

    Rule of law only solution in Pakistan
    

    Commenting on the grave danger to democracy in Pakistan, Hamid Mir said, “I think that the rule of law is the solution to all of our problems. That’s why we want a general democracy in Pakistan because the founder of Pakistan, Muhammad Ali Jinnah was a democrat and I am a follower of his.”
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “And all those people who are trying to snatch media freedom from us are enemies of Pakistan and are enemies of Muhammad Ali Jinnah,” said Mir.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    ‘Raiwand’s prime minister’ sent abroad despite conviction: Bilawal
    
			
    ‘Raiwand’s prime minister’ sent abroad despite conviction: Bilawal
    
			
    Chairman Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari, while addressing a press conference in Islamabad on Friday, said, “Raiwand’s prime minister” Nawaz Sharif was sent abroad despite being convicted.
    

    Bilawal said former president Asif Ali Zardari remains in Pakistan, moving from one doctor to another, despite his children telling him to go abroad and seek treatment.
    

    “If the president [Zardari] is from Nawabshah, he remains on medical bail despite trumped-up charges,” said chairman PPP.
    

    “I want to ask the prime minister (PM) what sort of accountability and justice is being implemented in the country? I want to ask the PM what kind of rule of law is there within the country?” Bilawal asked, adding that if the premier’s friends are being alleged of a crime, no action is taken against them.
    

    “This is revenge and political engineering and their ministers themselves accept it has hurt the economy,” added Bilawal.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “If the prime minister and his sister are blamed for a crime, nothing happens to them,” Bilawal lashed out.
    

    However, if a former president from Nawabshah’s sister is blamed for something, then she is dragged to jail from her hospital bed, he said, referring to PPP leader Faryal Talpur.
    

    The PPP chairman denigrated the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government and questioned its standards of accountability. “This system is a mockery of the Constitution,” said Bilawal.
    

    “If the Leader of Opposition is from Lahore (Shehbaz Sharif), he is awarded bail, and if the leader of Opposition hails from Sukkur (Khursheed Shah), he is denied the right and treated like a ping-pong ball — back and forth from the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) courts to Supreme Court,” Bilawal said.
    

    The PPP chairman claimed the authorities were repeatedly blackmailing Shah’s children and his wife.
    

    Bilawal further said that the party would support Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly on the budget despite the inappropriate behaviour of some Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) members.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “I unconditionally say to Shehbaz Sharif in front of the media that all PPP members will be in your support with regards to parliament and this [upcoming] budget despite tantrums [of some PML-N members].”
    

    He said that PPP members would come and vote on the day of the budget and now it was up to Shehbaz as the Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly to “do his work and stop the government’s budget.”
    

    Bilawal was responding to a question on whether the PPP had been contacted on the budget issue and whether it would support the Opposition. He responded that despite the “inappropriate behaviour” of the PML-N and other political parties in the Opposition, the PPP had prioritised national issues and the budget over differences between the political parties.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    “So despite their insults, the PPP went to Shehbaz Sharif’s invitation for dinner so we can rid the people of economic difficulties. Unfortunately, our host was publicly insulted after that dinner by some officeholders of the PML-N,” said Bilawal, adding that flinging statements at guests was not a part of “our tradition, values, and culture”.
    

    The PPP chairman also lashed out at the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), saying it should have offered resignations the same day or the next when the PPP had “supposedly” refused to listen to its demands and set out for its long march.
    

    “If they still want to do politics of resignations, then they should have given them by now.”
    

    Hitting out at the prime minister, the PPP chairman said that the statements since the past few weeks on the state of the economy showed that the “prime minister has no connection to the common man”.
    

    “The prime minister says Pakistan’s difficult time is over. Not sure about the common man but the IMF’s (International Monetary Fund) difficult time is over, for sure,” he said.
    

    

    


    

    

    

    Bilawal Bhutto said the government’s ministers had come around to accept the PPP’s stance on the economy and expressed the hope that Pakistan would escape the “IMF’s grip” in the budget next week.
    

    Bilawal similarly hit out at an ordinance for the creation of a new media body and said the PPP would continue to oppose it. He added that the recent attacks on journalists such as Asad Ali Toor or pressure being applied to media personnel such as Hamid Mir through petitions had “exposed the government’s weakness and insecurity”.
    

    
			
    
		
    
		
	
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    EXCLUSIVE: ‘I did the speech knowing I would lose my job,’ Hamid Mir
    
			
    EXCLUSIVE: ‘I did the speech knowing I would lose my job,’ Hamid Mir
    
			
    Hamid Mir doesn’t sound like he’s down. On the contrary, the seasoned journalist sounds energised and alive. His phone was dead (or switched off) for the past two days, when The Current tried to reach out to him. Eventually when we got through, he didn’t pause for a second and gave us his version of the event that led to his removal from his flagship show, ‘Capital Talk’ on Geo News. 
    

    “What will Geo probe?” he said when asked that Geo News had stated that they would “check for violation of policy and law” in a speech given by Hamid Mir “that resulted in backlash from different segments of society”.  
    

    “My speech did not air on Geo News, it was not published in the newspaper,” Mir said categorically, “so how is Geo responsible when it never appeared on their television screens?” 
    

    But Mir does admit that the pressure is intense on the management of his channel, which ultimately falls on him. “I am always prepared for pressure,” he says calmly, “I offered to leave the channel on Friday night when I was asked to clarify my statement. I told the management that when I never spoke on your channel, why do I need to issue a clarification? I was then told not to tweet on the issue and also that I should not take part in any other programmes,” Mir explained. “I was going to go on different news channels and said that I am not going to discuss my speech but to discuss the media ordinance. I was asked not to do so and therefore, I didn’t. I did tell them [management] that ‘they’ will ask you to remove me from the programme in a day or so and that’s exactly what happened.”
    

    When asked what it was about this particular case that drove Mir to give the speech, he said it was because of a man in a wheelchair.
    

    “When I was about to speak, if you notice in the video, there is a man on my right side sitting on a wheelchair. The man is an old journalist Qaiser Butt and he randomly said, ‘Larki ka bhai ho sakta hai‘ (it can be the girl’s brother) implying that Toor was part of an illicit relationship. That made me angry since Asad was standing right there as well. I got de-tracked and said, ‘larki ki maa bhi ho sakti hai jo General Rani hai‘. But it’s not just that.”
    

    Mir says the biggest reason for speaking out had been building up for the past three weeks. “In the past two, three weeks, some female colleagues were complaining that they were being threatened and one told me that ‘they’ came to her house. They didn’t cause her any harm but gave her a message.” He added that two female journalists also wanted to file a case but they have restrictions that are different. “Their husbands tell them not to report the cases; they face problems with their in-laws.”
    

    Mir is hopeful for change this time. “I did the speech knowing I would lose my job and I was prepared for that,” he says. “Right now, as I am speaking with you, I am at a meeting with the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP). Hina Jilani is also here and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) is going to be releasing a white paper on the new cases that have come up. I can’t tell you, I have been swamped with calls of people that are now finally coming forward with cases and want to raise their voice.”
    

    “Lots of people are taken off air, but there has never been such a big reaction,” Mir says, explaining that in this particular case, the local and international reaction is bigger than he expected. “I am getting a lot of calls from international networks wanting to cover the story and because of this interest, I believe that some pressure will be put on the political government for accountability.”
    

    “Lots of ministers are messaging me in private, lending their support,” Mir said. “Perhaps this time, we might see some actual change.”
    

    Hamid Mir was taken off air on Monday.