BBC’s famed host, Stephen Sackur, from show HARDtalk says that PML-N leader, Ishaq Dar, was willing to come to the show.
Sackur revealed that he was, however, was delighted to host Dar on his show. The BBC host expressed his views in an interview with BBC correspondent Alia Nazki.
“I was delighted that Ishaq Dar wanted to be on the show. We want to — and we’re making a very conscious effort — cover Pakistan more thoroughly in HARDtalk so when he said he was happy to come in and give us the interview, we were very delighted about that,” Sackur told Nazki.
Sackur praised Dar for being a direct speaker. Talking about the conversation in the show, he called it ‘intense’. “It was a pretty intense conversation and I enjoyed the experience,” Sackur added. He noted that the conversation went along with the theme of the show.
Read more: Pakistani TV channel to broadcast Ishaq Dar’s BBC interview in Urdu
The host explained that with his experience of 15 years he had learned how to deal with politicians who dodge the question and instead want to give their messages to people.
“I’ve been become quite used to the methods that politicians and public figures used to try to get their message across and not necessarily always answer the direct question that I’ve asked.
So this was fun. Do read. @stephensackur https://t.co/fZ854qTWWQ pic.twitter.com/1qSBrLXzsk
— Aliya Nazki (@AliyaNazki) December 22, 2020
“There are various ways to try to bring them back to the straightforward question. Sometimes, the question needs to be repeated several times. Perhaps, it can be reframed… rephrased. But essentially I’m trying to bring them back to the question that I want them to address,” said Sackur.
He mentioned that he has learned the trick to take the politicians by surprise and bring back them to the questions.
“There are different techniques. Some interviewees embrace the challenge and are very frank and direct from the beginning. Others perhaps take a little more time to warm up,” said Sackur.
He, however, stressed upon ethics and respect of interviewees in the show. Sackur said that he does think interviews of a ‘boxing match’ where rudeness and aggression are used as devices.
Read more: BBC Anchor leaves Ishaq Dar speechless on questions of property & his Illness
The BBC host added that he is aware that his audience demands an ‘intelligent conversation’.
آپ کو معلوم ہے کہ آپ کی اسحق ڈار کے بی بی سی کے پروگرام ہارڈ ٹاک میں انٹریو کے بارے میں کیا رائے ہے لیکن خود انٹرویو کرنے والے سٹیفن سیکر اس کے بارے میں کیا سوچتے ہیں معلوم کریں عالیہ نازکی کے ساتھhttps://t.co/BNbAyGccs0
— BBC News اردو (@BBCUrdu) December 22, 2020
“It’s not — certainly not — about me and me trying to make any sort of personal points or invest(ing) myself personally in any sort of combat with the guest,” said Sackur.
Pakistan’s former finance minister’s interview with Sackur on BBC made intense waves in Pakistan. The hard-hitting questions of Sackur left Dar perturbed and speechless in the show. The interview was one of the widely discussed subjects of 2020 in Pakistan.