JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 08, 2012 | ZB Saigol
Join our WhatsApp channel
KARACHI: DawnNews’ senior anchor Talat Hussain apparently has been unable to keep his frustration to himself and the repercussions of venting it has come home to roost in the worst possible way.
Earlier today, Geo TV anchor and prominent analyst/columnist Najam Sethi served a legal notice on Talat for leveling false and damaging accusations against him.Talat was not available for comment.
Although the crux of the matter seemed to be Talat’s uncharacteristic outburst on his program ‘News Night with Talat’ in which he openly accused Sethi of being party to favor seeking from well-known property tycoon Malik Riaz, it is reckoned professional jealousy also precipitated the fall out; Talat’s show lags behind Sethi’s in the ratings and this apparently irked him enough to have a go at Sethi.
From the very outset of the show viewers and followers of Talat’s program were taken aback by his openly hostile demeanor towards Sethi. He
directly accused Sethi of taking favors from Malik and said it was from here that he got information on what was happening within the corridors of power.
He called Malik Riaz Sethi’s ‘chiria’… the sparrow that supplied him information. Showing his disdain Talat lumped Sethi with some ‘other’ anchors and journalists he said, if left to their own device, would try to absolve Malik Riaz of all wrong doings as they had all taken favors from him at one time or the other.
Riaz caused uproar recently when he said he had documentary evidence against the alleged corruption of Chief Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry’s son Dr Arsalan Iftikhar.
Raiz has now admitted to the media that he has no evidence against Justice Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry being corrupt.
In his own program, Aapas ki Baat, Sethi rebutted Talat’s allegations and accused him of being jealous and said it was but an attention-getting gimmick on Talat’s part.
Then Sethi went on to insinuate that Talat was a CIA agent.
Sethi didn’t stop there either. His ire suddenly turned to Dunya TV’s Mubashir Lucman who hosts the hard-hitting Khari Baat. Sethi called Lucman a liar for alleging he (Sethi) had dual nationality.
He said he had also sent a legal notice to Mubashir Lucman resulting in the High Court directing Lucman to avoid false allegations on him.
Newsrooms were buzzing with the ongoing spat amongst the top TV anchors with many voicing the opinion that it was but a “drama’ to bring attention to their programs and thereby bump up the rating.
Either way, the industry is keenly waiting what will happen next. Will Talat back down or will he stick to his guns and will Lucman sit down like a good boy or also have a few words to say?
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.