Ahsan Iqbal issues clarification on interruption during live TV broadcast
Pakistan
Video clip of the interruption subsequently went viral on social media, prompting various interpretations of the incident.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – Federal Minister for Planning and Development and senior PML-N leader Ahsan Iqbal briefly disappeared from a live television interview on Thursday after his video link suddenly disconnected, but he rejoined moments later and assured the host that “all is well” once the broadcast resumed.
During the interruption, a voice can be heard saying, "shut this down (bund karo isay)" just as the minister’s video feed goes off air.
When Iqbal returned to the programme, the host welcomed him back and said viewers had been worried by the abrupt break, noting that many were asking “is everything okay”. Iqbal replied that “all is well”. The host then said he would not pursue the matter further if everything was fine and continued with the discussion, pointing out that only “eight to ten minutes” of the show remained.
Later, in a clarification shared on X, Iqbal expressed gratitude to those who reached out with concern. He explained that “a brief disruption occurred during a live broadcast when someone nearby having an argument was unaware that I was live on air”. He added that he soon rejoined the interview and expressed hope that “we can avoid unnecessary politicisation of this.”
The video clip of the interruption subsequently went viral on social media, prompting various interpretations of the incident. In posts on X, some users claimed that during the live broadcast, “someone” had deliberately cut off the video link, calling the incident unusual.
A journalist later posted on X that he had spoken directly to Iqbal, who explained that a family gathering was taking place at his Islamabad home when children unexpectedly entered his study. He added that the minister soon rejoined the programme and that the host could verify the account.
Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar also shared that he had spoken with Iqbal. He said that “kids came into the study running unexpectedly”, adding that “all is well” and that Iqbal had resumed the show shortly afterward.
