Hamid Mir
Hamid Mir | |
---|---|
University of Punjab | |
Occupations |
|
Years active | 1987–present |
Employer | Geo News |
Known for | Interviewing Osama bin Laden |
Television | Capital Talk |
Spouse | Naheed Hamid |
Children | 2 |
Parents |
|
Relatives | Amir Mir (brother) Huma Mir (sister) |
Awards | Hilal-i-Imtiaz (Crescent of Excellence) Award (2013) by the President of Pakistan |
Hamid Mir (
Born in
He was awarded with the civil award Hilal-i-Imtiaz for his work for Pakistan.[22] In 2016, he was awarded the "Most Resilient Journalist Award" in The Hague by Free Press Unlimited.[23][24] In 2017, he was awarded the lifetime achievement award by former Prime Minister Zafarullah Khan Jamali, at Government College University Lahore, for his work as a news anchor. [25][26]
Hamid Mir is the only journalist in South Asia to cover wars and conflicts in Afghanistan, Iraq, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Bosnia and Sri Lanka. For his war and conflict reporting, he was awarded SAARC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010 in New Delhi.[27]
Hamid Mir is regular participant in international seminars and conferences on security, human rights and press freedom.[28] He has delivered lectures at Harvard University, Yale University, University of Oxford, London School of Economics and University of California, Berkeley.[29][30][31]
Early, personal and family life
Hamid Mir's grandfather was Mir Abdul Aziz from
Mir is married to Naheed Hamid, who worked with Pakistan television and for a private television channel for many years. The couple has two children. His two children and wife spent sometime outside of the country because of security issues in 2007.[35]
Journalistic career
Daily Jang
Mir joined the
Daily Pakistan
In 1996, Mir became the editor of the
Mir was the first Pakistani journalist to interview
Mir went to eastern Afghanistan, where he investigated the escape of Osama bin Laden from Tora Bora mountains in December 2001.[41] Mir visited the caves of bin Laden, during the American bombing. Mir also alleged that it was U.S.-backed Northern Alliance leader Hazrat Ali who provided safe passage to bin Laden after getting a huge bribe.[42] He has also written a biography of Osama bin Laden, as well as a weekly column in Daily Jang.[43]
Geo News
In 2002, Mir joined
Mir was arrested by Hezbollah in Beirut during Israel-Lebanon war in July 2006 while trying to cover the scenes of Israeli jets bombing on Beirut, but was later set free after Hezbollah was assured that he was not an Israeli spy. Just a few seconds before his escape, the place was bombed by Israeli forces, and he barely escaped the scene.[48]
On 16 March 2007, during live coverage of the lawyers' protest against the suspension of the Chief Justice of Supreme Court
When Hamid Mir started highlighting the issue of enforced disappearances, fake cases started arising against him. In May 2010, an audio tape of a conversation between Mir and Usman Punjabi who was allegedly the 2nd in command of Hakimullah Mehsud surfaced. In the tape they allegedly discussed then-kidnapped Khalid Khawaja with Mir urging that he be further interrogated by his Taliban-linked captors. Khawaja was killed in April 2010 by his captors. Rashed Rahman, editor of the English-language Daily Times newspaper said "If this tape turns out to be genuine, it suggests a journalist instigated the murder of a kidnapee. A line must be drawn somewhere."[56] Mir has denied the authenticity of the tape. Later on Usman Punjabi was killed by Taliban.[57] Hamid Mir faced the charge in Pakistani courts and nothing was proved against him.[58]
In December 2011, Mir received death threats after he hosted a TV show on Influence of ISI in Pakistani politics.[59]
He reportedly left Geo TV on 10 August 2018 and joined
GNN
On August 10, 2018, Hamid Mir left
Rejoining Geo
In October 2018, he rejoined Geo News and hosted his show Capital Talk.
Banned from Geo News on the pressure of military establishment
In May 2021, after journalist Asad Ali Toor was attacked by masked men, Hamid Mir supported him and criticized Pakistan's military establishment, which has directly ruled Pakistan for nearly half of its existence since its creation in 1947. His focus of criticism was military dictator General Yahya Khan and Akleem Akhtar.[63] After this speech, on May 30, 2021, Mir was banned from Geo News and it was reported that he would no longer host the Capital Talk show.[64] The leading political party was also running campaign against him on different social media platforms.[65] Later on, he clarified his statement that he was not against any institution, as Mir's family members were getting threats from unknown people.[66] On March 8, 2022, Hamid Mir made a comeback to Capital Talk after the nine-month ban was lifted.[67]
Assassination attempts
He was also the subject of an attempt on his life in November 2012, when half a kilogram of explosives were placed in his car, which was successfully defused by the
On 19 April 2014, Hamid Mir was fired upon by unknown gunmen and received three bullet injuries. He had earlier told his colleagues that if he is attacked, Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), "and its chief Lieutenant-General Zaheer-ul-Islam will be responsible" and had also sent to the Committee to Protect Journalists a video recording implicating the ISI in case of any attempts on his life. Geo News was also banned for airing this statement of Hamid Mir.[72]
Awards and recognition
- Awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz on 23 March 2013 (award was announced on 14 August 2012) for his services to journalism by the PPP government under President Asif Ali Zardari.[22]
- On 26 March 2010, the Foundation of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Writers and Literature awarded Mir the SAARC Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.[73][74]
- A July 2008 article in Der Spiegel mentioned Mir as Pakistan's "most popular journalist".[75]
- Hamid Mir received the Agahi Award for the most Favourite Current Affairs Anchor in the people's choice category on 28 March 2012.[76]
- On 13 April 2013, a video surfaced on social media showing Hamid Mir receiving "Friends of Liberation War Honour" award by Sheikh Hasina on behalf of his father Waris Mir. The video created a minor controversy in Pakistan.[77][78]
- In 2015, The Washington Post called Mir as "Pakistan's most famous TV journalist who lives like a fugitive".[19]
- Hamid Mir has won APNS Award for "Best Columnist - Urdu" in 1998.
Criticism
Views on Taliban
Mir has been repeatedly accused of being pro-
Mir visited Bajour tribal area in January 2006 after a US missile attack in Damadola village. He claimed that the US missiles killed only innocent children and women, not Al Qaeda militants.
In 2016, Islamabad High Court dismissed a plea for including blasphemy charge brought against Mir.[87]
Views on Hamas
In 2009, Mir compared the
Books
His publications include:[89]
- Bhuṭṭo Kī Siyāsī Pesh Goʼiyān̲, Lahore: Jang Publishers, 1990. On political forecasts made by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, 1928–1979.
- Qalam Kamān : Pākistān Kā Mustaqbil, Islamabad: Dost Publishers, 2014. Collected columns, in 2 volumes, on the political situation of Pakistan, published in Daily Jang.
See also
References
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- ^ "Columns - Qalam Kaman - Jang Columns - Urdu Columns - Daily Jang". jang.com.pk. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Hamid Mir:Writer - The News International: Latest News Breaking, Pakistan News". The News International. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Hamid Mir | The Guardian". the Guardian. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Hamid Mir - The Washington Post". The Washington Post. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Am I a traitor?". Committee to Protect Journalists. 8 May 2014. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Mir, Hamid (3 June 2021). "Banned from Geo, six bullets, one car bomb, but I still won't leave Pakistan — Hamid Mir". ThePrint. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Osama claims he has nukes: If US uses N-arms it will get same response". DAWN.COM. 10 November 2001. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "A Discussion on the New Crusader Wars: Tayseer Allouni with Usamah bin Laden". IslamicAwakening.com. Archived from the original on 10 May 2013.
- ^ A dangerous subject, Leslie Crawford, July 14, 2006 Financial Times
- ^ "Interview With Hamid Mir of Geo TV". U.S. Department of State. 1 August 2013. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Group Interview with Dunya TV, AAJ TV, Express TV, Geo TV, Dawn News, and PTV". U.S. Department of State. 28 October 2009. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Hamid Mir interviewed Tony Blair, retrieved 13 June 2022
- ^ Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (18 March 2004). "Interview by Hamid Mir of GEO TV". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "Ahmadinejad for Ulema conference against terrorism". Geo News. 22 November 2022. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Department Of State. The Office of Electronic Information, Bureau of Public Affairs (17 March 2005). "Interview with Hamid Mir of GEO TV". 2001-2009.state.gov. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "L K Advani interview". www.rediff.com. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ a b c d e "Living like a fugitive". Washington Post. 25 July 2015. Retrieved 26 July 2015.
- ^ "Benazir Bhutto murdered again after 10 years". The Indian Express. 2 September 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ "I am very shy person in real life: Shah Rukh Khan". www.thenews.com.pk. 11 April 2016. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ a b "Civilian awards: Presidency issues list of 192 recipients". The Express Tribune. 13 August 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Hamid Mir wins 'most resilient journalist award'". geo.tv. Geo. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ "Free Press: Geo's Hamid Mir wins 'Most Resilient Journalist Award'". thenews.com.pk. The News. 7 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.
- ^ "Hamid Mir given lifetime achievement award". thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Seasoned journalist Hamid Mir given lifetime achievement award by alma mater". No. Pakistan Today. 16 April 2017. Retrieved 17 April 2017.
- ^ "Hamid Mir gets Saarc award in Delhi". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Reducing the dangers of journalism: a view from Pakistan". BBC. 17 October 2012. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "The Taliban Resurgence in Pakistan". Asia Society. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Pakistani Journalist Criticizes US Foreign Policy". Fog City Journal. 3 April 2009. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Journalists should always stand by democracy, says Hamid Mir". www.thenews.com.pk. Retrieved 5 July 2021.
- ^ "Hamid Mir undergoes 'successful operation' after being shot". Geo News. 19 April 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
His grandfather Mir Abdul Aziz was an Urdu, Persian, and Punjabi language poet from Sialkot.
- ^ "Missing since 1947". The Indian Express. 14 August 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ Newspaper, the (6 July 2015). "Waris Mir Kahani — a literary tribute". DAWN.COM. Retrieved 27 June 2021.
- ^ Gall, Carlotta (7 June 2007). "NY Times". The New York Times. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ a b "Musharraf's Monster". Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ Mir, Hamid (3 May 2011). "The Osama bin Laden I knew". The News International. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ Ali, Syed Hamad (9 March 2009). "The man who interviewed Osama bin Laden... 3 times". The Independent. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ Mohamed Shaheeb, Ahmed Zahir (20 April 2002). "Hamid Mir — the last journalist to interview Osama bin Laden". Huvaas. Maldives Culture. Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
- ^ "Osama claims he has nukes: If US uses N-arms it will get same response". Dawn. 10 November 2001. Retrieved 3 October 2017.
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- ^ "Al Qaeda and the Iranian Connection". Retrieved 25 January 2009.
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- ^ "Capital Talk". PakShows.pk. Archived from the original on 14 June 2018. Retrieved 14 June 2018.
- ^ "Capital Talk on Geo News". pakpolitical.com. Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 20 August 2018.
- ^ "Capital Talk Analysis". geo.tv/. Archived from the original on 26 January 2015. Retrieved 30 January 2015.
- ^ a b "Hamid Mir undergoes successful operation after being shot - thenews.com.pk". The News. 23 April 2014. Archived from the original on 23 April 2014. Retrieved 26 November 2017.
- ^ "When death stared me in the face". Archived from the original on 3 May 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Pakistani police storm TV channel". CNN. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ Oshea, Chiade (17 March 2007). "Musharraf calls to say sorry after police storm TV studio". The Times. London. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ Constable, Pamela (25 November 2007). "Political Talk Defies Ban in Pakistan". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "'Capital Talk' enthralls protesters on road". Archived from the original on 23 December 2008. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Who assassinated Benazir Bhutto?". Archived from the original on 1 December 2017. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "CNN LATE EDITION WITH WOLF BLITZER". 5 December 2004. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Al-Qaeda's Hidden Arsenal and Sponsors: Interview with Hamid Mir". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ Walsh, Declan (17 May 2010). "Pakistani news presenter accused of link to Taliban hostage's murder". The Guardian. London.
- ^ "Usman Punjabi killed in infighting". DAWN.COM. 30 August 2010. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Khalid Khwaja abduction case against Hamid Mir quashed". The News International. 9 December 2017. Retrieved 24 June 2021.
- ^ Dietz, Bob (20 December 2011). "Pakistan's Hamid Mir publicizes a death threat - Committee to Protect Journalists". cpj.org. Retrieved 1 December 2017.
- ^ "Hamid Mir's Jang is over, joins GNN as president". Pakistan Today. 10 August 2018. Retrieved 25 September 2018.
- ^ "'تبدیلی آگئی ہے' حامد میر اور جیو کا ساتھ ختم؟". Dawn News. 11 August 2018. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Hamid Mir ends brief stint with GNN | Pakistan Today". archive.pakistantoday.com.pk. 12 October 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
- ^ "Hamid Mir: Groups condemn Pakistan TV host suspension". BBC News. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Hashim, Asad (31 May 2021). "Pakistani journalist 'taken off air' after military outburst". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 31 May 2021.
- ^ "PTI lawmaker for action against TV anchor". The Nation. 1 June 2021. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Hamid Mir Backs On TV Screens As Ban Lifted". www.thefridaytimes.com. 8 March 2022. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ^ Amnesty Report 2013 - Pakistan. Amnesty International. 2014.
- ^ Boone, Jon (26 November 2012). "Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir is target of to car bomb". The Guardian. London. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ "Hamid Mir escapes car bomb plot". The News International. 26 November 2012. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
- ^ admin. "Capital Talk ( Khawaja Asif exclusive ) – 28th January 2015 -". Retrieved 15 September 2016.
- ^ "Journalist Hamid Mir injured in gun attack in Karachi". Dawn. 21 March 2016. Retrieved 29 December 2020.
- ^ Mir, Hamid (26 March 2010). "Apology Day for Pakistanis". The Daily Star. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Correspondent, A. "Hamid Mir to get SAARC Lifetime Achievement Award". Rediff. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ISSN 2195-1349. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Agahi awards: Express Group bags four awards". The Express Tribune. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ Haque, Sajidul (28 April 2017). "Pakistan journalist Hamid Mir 'will return' his father's 1971 award to Bangladesh". bdnews24.com. Retrieved 13 June 2022.
- ^ "Sharief, Benazir 'Raped' Democracy: Najam Sethi". Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "Risk is the beauty of journalism". Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir is target of car bomb | World news. theguardian.com. Retrieved on 3 August 2013.
- ^ "This Pakistani nailed Pak Govt's lie on Kasab". HisdustanTimes.com. 22 December 2008. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012. Retrieved 26 April 2009.
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- ^ "Ugly American redux: U.S. in Pakistan". The Globe and Mail. Toronto. 23 August 2012.
- ^ "Pak court rejects blasphemy plea against journo Hamid Mir". The Daily Star. 19 October 2016. Retrieved 14 November 2016.
- ^ Hamas builds while Taliban bomb schools, Hamid Mir. The Daily Star, 2009-01-31
- ^ "Hamid Mir". Open Library. Retrieved 16 July 2023.