• News
  • India News
  • Noted Pakistan journo Hamid Mir taken off air after anti-military remarks
This story is from June 1, 2021

Noted Pakistan journo Hamid Mir taken off air after anti-military remarks

A prominent Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has been taken off air indefinitely, days after making hard-hitting remarks against the country’s powerful military establishment. Mir's comments came in view of an attack by unknown assailants on Asad Toor, a journalist considered to be a strong critic of the army and its intelligence service. Toor was attacked at his home in Islamabad.
Noted Pakistan journo Hamid Mir taken off air after anti-military remarks
ISLAMABAD: A prominent Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has been taken off air indefinitely, days after making hard-hitting remarks against the country’s powerful military establishment following an attack by unknown assailants on Asad Toor, a journalist considered to be a strong critic of the army and its intelligence service, at his apartment in Islamabad.
1x1 polls

Mir, who had been hosting a popular talk show ‘Capital Talk’, on Geo TV for nearly two decades, himself broke the news on Monday, saying he was expecting the ban. “Nothing new for me. I was banned twice in the past. Lost jobs twice. Survived assassination attempts but cannot stop raising voice for the rights given in the constitution. This time I’m ready for any consequences and ready to go at any extent because they (a reference to army and ISI) are threatening my family,” Mir posted on Twitter.
According to the Geo management, the anchorperson will remain part of the Jang Group, but is being sent on ‘leave’ and will not appear on TV for an indefinite period.
The development drew sharp criticism from media persons and several journalists stepped forward to show solidarity with Mir.
Taking to Twitter, Absar Alam, a senior journalist who himself was shot last month by an unknown person in the stomach near his house in Islamabad, said, “It’s shameful to threaten anyone’s family. If anyone has a complaint against Hamid Mir, that person should follow the legal path instead of resorting to unconstitutional and fascist acts.” Alam’s fellow journalists had blamed the military’s intelligence service for the attack.

Journalist Asma Shirazi, in a tweet, said: “If Hamid Mir is taken off air or banned from doing program, more fingers will point towards the powerful establishment and the government while resounding the words that he said.”
Meanwhile, Munizae Jahangir, another journalist, said, “The ban on Hamid Mir is a slap on those who profess to have a free media in Pakistan. Mir is undoubtedly the most popular TV anchor of Pak and he is being punished for speaking out against attacks on journalists.”
The episode began last week when Pakistani journalist and vlogger Asad Ali Toor was attacked and threatened inside his Islamabad apartment by unknown men.
Later, in a statement, information minister Fawad Chaudhary claimed that certain journalists in the past had blamed the military and ISI only to receive political asylum and immigration to foreign countries.
Responding to Chaudhry’s claim at a protest outside Islamabad Press Club on Friday, Hamid Mir termed the minister’s remarks unfortunate. “I was attacked but I am still in Pakistan. Matiullah Jan was attacked once but he is also in Pakistan. Absar Alam is also present in Pakistan,” he added.
“I would like to ask the minister why senior military officials like Gen Musharraf are living abroad?” Mir asked. The minister would not be able to answer as to who is funding Musharraf’s stay abroad or why most of the top intelligence officials get lucrative jobs outside Pakistan after retirement, he added.
End of Article
FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA