Pakistani TV channel, ARY News, to broadcast the viral interview of former finance minister Ishaq Dar with BBC’s ‘The Hard Talk’ in Urdu dubbing at 4 Pm today.
His interview with BBC had created a buzz on social media soon after a short clip went viral on Twitter yesterday. Dar appeared on the show as a guest with BBC Anchor Stephen Sackur on the show Hardtalk on Monday. Dar struggled to give satisfactory answers to the grilling given to him by the host on the show, which caught the attention of social media.
Ishaq Dar to BBC’s Stephen Sackur
Dar was at a loss for words when the host asked him about the number of properties he and his family own.
“It’s all declared in my tax returns,” Dar replied. The host insisted on him giving a clear and coherent answer and reiterated that he just wanted a simple answer to his question on how many properties he and his family had.
To which Dar said: “I have my main residence in Pakistan which has been taken over by this regime. My sole property is my residence”.
Read more: BBC Anchor leaves Ishaq Dar speechless on questions of property & his Illness
Dar also denied the reports of Pakistani media claiming his multiple residences and properties in Pakistan and other countries.
Sackur again asked him about the properties his sons own outside Pakistan, in London and Dubai. Sackur asked him if he had a property in London, to which Ishaq Dar answered he did not.
سابق وزیرِ خزانہ جناب اسحاق ڈار کا بی بی سی کو دیا گیا انٹرویو “ارتغرل” کی طرح اُردو زبان میں۔۔۔ 😇
آج سہ پہر چار بجے، اے آر وائی نیوز پر #ARYNews #IshaqDar #UrduInterview pic.twitter.com/dC7v9zGcsH— Iqrar ul Hassan Syed (@iqrarulhassan) December 2, 2020
Dar explained that his sons have been in business for the past seventeen years and they are independent of him. However, he admitted that they own villas in Dubai.
Sackur then asked why he does not return to Pakistan if he owns a single property in the entire world and has his tax returns on records and makes a case at the court of law. He also asked him was he still sick – he has been in the UK for over three years now.
Mockery on social media
The visible hesitation of Dar in give clear and coherent answers to the questions concerning his illness and properties attracted mockery from social media users. The controversial interview is still making waves on social media. Several analysts have wondered about the gaffe of the PMLN leader to appear on the show when multiples cases of assets beyond means have been running against them in Pakistani courts.
Kids in 80s and 90s when their parents came home early while they had special tapes stuck in the VCR due to load shedding pic.twitter.com/09w3vkuo5m
— Blue on Blue (@RavensLaire) December 1, 2020
10 year old me when the Teacher wouldn't believe that a flying unicorn ate my homework 😢😢😢😢😢 #IshaqDar #StephenSackur pic.twitter.com/Beb1Bf1wfg
— Sadaf H. Khan 🌻🇵🇰 (@_Go_Study__Fifi) December 2, 2020
When a Pakistani Politcian is asked to go back to his country, he gets medical issues like #IshaqDar #HardTalk #StephenSackur @stephensackur #PakistaniPolitics pic.twitter.com/OKdT0qXVSr
— Ali Gul Pir (@Aligulpir) December 2, 2020
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Other social media users commented that the interview has revived the narrative of corruption against PMLN leadership. Adding that it adversely backfired against the local leadership of PMLN putting in a hard effort to mobilize public movement against the current government of PTI while particularly targeting Prime Minister Imran Khan in the Pakistan Democratic Movement rallies across Pakistan.