Former President and a retired general of Pakistan, Pervez Musharraf, has chosen media as his post retirement career with weekly show ‘Sab Se Pehle Pakistan with President Musharraf’ every Sunday at 8pm on Bol TV.
On the show’s first episode, last Sunday, Musharraf responded to questions from an anchor while residing in Dubai under self-exile, having left Pakistan for medical reasons.
The program has elicited a variety of responses from watchers which include his need for the oxygen of publicity for keeping himself relevant in Pakistan to it being a cheap media publicity stunt by Bol TV to keep itself relevant in Pakistan’s competitive electronic market.
Read more: IFs & Buts of General Musharraf 15 years after 9/11?
Watch “Sab Se Pehle Pakistan with President Pervez Musharraf ” every Sunday only on BOL News #BOLNews#MusharrafOnBOL pic.twitter.com/ug7iBn2Dqr
— BOL NETWORK (@BOLNETWORK) February 26, 2017
@BOLNETWORK Boss is back!
I’ll wait to listen some words of wisdom.— Saba Khan (@SabaKha36432416) February 27, 2017
@BOLNETWORK Best man seen in recent Paki politics
— Hasnain RaZa (@HasnainOnAir) February 27, 2017
@BOLNETWORK How Pakistan First?Why No Treatment in Pakistan?Why residence in UK and Dubai from King’s money?
— Aijaz H. Siddiqui (@Sidijaz) February 26, 2017
@BOLNETWORK real hero for our nation, hope he can get back to control and save our Pakistan,
— shahid mirza (@shahidnmirza) February 27, 2017
The current Nawaz government, in March of 2016, authorized former president of Pakistan to seek medical care abroad soon after the travel ban imposed on him by Supreme Court had been lifted.
This action, however, remains disputed among the public, as he was on trial for negating the constitution of Pakistan and imposing emergency in 2007. Additionally, Anti-Terrorism Court gave Musharraf a deadline to surrender himself in the judge’s detention case, with a warning to be declared a ‘proclaimed offender’ incase he fails to comply with the deadline which was December 8, 2016.
Retired general Musharraf, first went into self-exile in Dubai, after his resignation as president of Pakistan following the 2008 elections. His return to Pakistan in 2013 to challenge the elections resulted in implications under several cases. In 2013, his political party, All Pakistan Muslim League, ran for seats in different parts of Pakistan and won 1 seat in Gilgit. Earlier this month, ATC Islamabad issued an arrest warrant for Pervez Musharraf regarding the same case.
Bol TV, is under the watchful eye of the government, recently there was a conflict between Bol and PEMRA (Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority) on the “hate speech” being aired from its platform. PEMRA issued a show-cause notice to Labbaik Pvt Ltd (Bol News) for disobeying the order to discontinue “Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga” and not keeping Amir Liaqat off air, last month.
Read more: Why is PEMRA not playing its actual role?
A three member bench of the SC being headed by Justice Amir Hani Muslim, ordered Bol News to instantly cease airing all their ‘hateful content’ otherwise they will face contempt of court charges.
In response to Supreme Court, Bol News had submitted a signed undertaking in which it promised to halt the production of the show ‘Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga’ from airing.