JournalismPakistan.com | Published June 26, 2012 | Z B Saigol
Join our WhatsApp channelKARACHI: Is Geo TV a glutton for punishment or what? There is a buzz and it’s getting louder with every passing hour.
It is possible Geo may be on the verge of hiring the very man who is on record for bad mouthing the news channel and was the original off-camera leaked interview villain just a few months back.
Yes folks, Dr Amer Liaquat is apparently priming for a return to the channel where he was once the ‘most pious’ program host with Aalim Online. Geo, it is said has apparently managed to lure him away from ARY for double the salary he was getting before being sacked by Geo.
For those of you with short memories, which apparently have become even shorter, Liaquat was exposed for abusive language and callous remarks while prepping for his yet-to-be-recorded program.
The leaked video came as a shock for many. For many others it did not. “He was a hypocrite then and he is still a hypocrite, admittedly a well off one,” an analyst friend of mine noted wryly when I called to ask him if it was true his good friend Liaquat was returning to Geo.
“This means we are going to see an even more extravagant wardrobe for this strutting peacock,” he concluded in disgust.
Liaquat enjoyed a fruitful 12 years as host and expert on Islamic affairs with Aalim Online, receiving dozens of phone calls and hundreds of emails and mail daily.
It was expected the disgust one felt when he was exposed for what he really was would ensure Liaquat would be unable to face a camera again if he had any shame and honor. But the power of money and the devil, also known as one’s ego, had other plans for this preacher who does not practice what he preaches. ARY hired him!!
In a blog he explained why he had quit Geo earlier. “I had 12 years of association with my previous organization (Geo) and to leave that long association was also painful for me. The times in your life come when you have to take certain tough decisions which breaks your heart but at the same time these steps have to be taken because the codes and principles are far more important than any materialistic thing in the world. And this is what happened this time, either I had to follow my codes and principles and to quit the organization or I had to compromise them and remain in the organization…..money and big name fail to tempt me therefore I have moved on.” (http://a.com.pk/tag/aamir-liaquat-hussain-website/)
I leave you to look and learn from this man who obviously knows how to make people dance to his tune. Not quite sure whether he uses hypnotism or has some how induced mass amnesia, but even I have to admit if he is going back to Geo, he’s quite the ultimate comeback kid!
(Z B Saigol is a guest writer)
*The views expressed by the writer do not necessarily reflect the views of JournalismPakistan.com
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.