Hamid Mir (Urdu: حامد مير, born July 23, 1966) is a Pakistani journalist and editor. He is also a news anchor, terrorism expert, and secu...
Hamid Mir (Urdu: حامد مير, born July 23, 1966) is a Pakistani journalist and editor. He is also a news anchor, terrorism expert, and security analyst who regularly participates in international conferences. He is also known for his columns in Urdu, Hindi, Bengali, and English newspapers and hosts a popular political talk show on Geo TV with the name of Capital Talk. He was banned from TV by the military regime of General Pervez Musharraf in 2007.[1] He was again banned by the Zardari-led Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) government in June 2008.[2]
Mir was born in Lahore, Punjab. He educated there and completed his Matric examination from University Laboratory School New Campus and Government Central Model School. He received his intermediate degree from Government Science College and his Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree from Government College. He earned his Master of Arts (M.A) in mass communications from the University of Punjab in 1989. He played cricket but left the sport after the sudden death of his father.[3]
Mir belongs to a literary and journalistic family. His grandfather Mir Abdul Aziz was a famous Urdu, Persian, and Punjabi language poet from Sialkot who actively participated in the movement for the creation of Pakistan under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[citation needed] Mir's father, professor Waris Mir,[4] was a columnist forDaily Jang and a critic of military dictator General Ziaul Haq,[5] for which he was removed from the chairmanship of the Mass Communication Department of the University in the 1980s.[5] Professor Waris Mir died on July 9, 1987 under mysterious circumstances at the age of 48; it has been alleged that he was poisoned by the then military regime. It was claimed the cause was a heart attack, contradicted by reports of frothing in his mouth. Mir entered the field of journalism immediately after the death of his father at a very young age.
Mir has three brothers, two are also journalists. Amir Mir works for The News International[citation needed] and Imran Mir works for Pakistan Television, third one, Adil Mir, is an industrialist. Mir's wife worked with Pakistan television and for a private television channel for many years. The couple has two children, son Arafat Mir and daughter Ayesha Mir. His children and wife were forced to spend at least three months outside Pakistan from May 2007 to July 2007 for security reasons.[6]
Mir joined the Daily Jang (Lahore) in 1987 and worked there as sub-editor, reporter, feature writer and edition in charge. In 1994, he broke the submarines purchase scandal in Daily Jang. Some close friends of Asif Zardari(husband of then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto) were involved in that scandal, along with some Navy officials. Mir lost his job the day his article was published.[7]
In 1996, Mir became the editor of the Daily Pakistan in Islamabad, making him the youngest editor of any national Urdu newspaper in the history of Pakistani journalism. He lost his job again in 1997, when he wrote an article in the Daily Pakistan about the alleged corruption of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[7] Also on December 25, 1997, he launched Daily Ausaf (Islamabad) as founding editor.
Mir spent ten days in eastern Afghanistan, where he investigated the escape of Osama bin Ladin from Tora Bora mountains in December 2001.[8] Mir visited the caves of bin Ladin, where he spent time during the US bombing. Mir also disclosed that it was US-backed Northern Alliance leader Hazrat Ali who provided safe passage to bin Ladin after getting a huge bribe.[9]
In 2002, Mir joined GEO TV as the Northern Region editor. Since November 2002, he has hosted GEO TV's Capital Talk, a political talk show in which top Pakistani politicians from the government and opposition have appeared. He is currently writing a biography of Osama bin Ladin, as well as a weekly column in Daily Jang.[10]
Other international figures interviewed by him include Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair and L K Advani.[11] Mir was arrested by Hezbullah 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 Hezbullah was assured that he was not an Israeli spy.[12]
On March 16, 2007, during live coverage of the lawyers' protest against the suspension of the then Chief Justice of Supreme Court Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Mir was attacked by police at his Islamabad office.[13] Later the then President, Pervez Musharraf apologized to Mir in his live TV show Capital Talk within few hours of the attack.[14] Mir was banned by General Pervez Musharraf in November 2007 for four months on Geo News network. Mir came on roads after the ban and organized street shows. He became an international figure after staging shows on the roads, gathering huge crowds. TheWashington Post published a front-page article on his show on the roads.[15] He was again banned by the government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in June 2008 for a few days on Geo News.[16] His investigative documentary on the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto aired on Geo TV on December 23, 2008, and created considerable controversy in Pakistan.[17]
Mir became a voice of peace and objective journalism during the India–Pakistan tension created after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.[18] Der Spiegeldeclared him the most popular journalist in Pakistan.[19]
Mir has participated in many international seminars and conferences on terrorism. He appears regularly on CNN, BBC and many Indian channels as a security analyst.[20] Mir claimed in an interview with independent online news source CanadianFreePress.com—that Al-Qaeda had acquired three so called 'suitcase nukes' from Russia, and had successfully smuggled them to Europe. Mir alleges these weapons have been in the possession of Al-Qaeda since long before the 9/11 terror attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., and that they were originally intended to be targeted against London, Paris and Los Angeles.
Mir also claims that Al-Qaeda has 23 sleeper agents inside the United States (minus the 19 who died carrying out the 9/11 attacks) and that these terrorists already have enough radioactive material for six 'dirty bombs'.[21]
In May 2010 an audio tape [22] of a conversation between Mir and one Usman Punjabi who was allegedly the 2nd in command of Hakimullah Mehsud surfaced. In the tape they 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.".[23] Mir has denied the authenticity of the tape "I never said these things to these people. This is a concocted tape, [..] They took my voice, sampled it and manufactured this conspiracy against me." Nothing was proved against Mir in any court. Later on Usman Punjabi was killed by Taliban.[24]
Earned an All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) award for best columnist (Urdu) for the years 1996,1997,and 1998.
Received the Maharishi Samman Award for Excellence in Journalism announced by Trust for Media Studies, inJodhpur, India in March, 2005.
Awarded the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal from the Ministry of Women Development, Government of Pakistan for writing and speaking in support of women's rights, in August 2005.
Interviewed Osama Bin Laden for the Daily Pakistan in 1997, for the Daily Ausaf in 1998, and for the Daily Dawnin 2001.[28][29] The latter was the first interview after 9/11 by any journalist, and the BBC and CNN declared it an international scoop. The Monthly Herald announced that interview as the scoop of the year in its annual issue of December 2001.[28]
Author of a book on the political philosophy of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, published in 1990, which is still in print.
On March 26, 2010, The foundation of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Writers and Literature have nominated Mir for the SAARC Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.[30][31]
In December 2011, Hamid Mir received Several Death Threatsafter he hosted a TV show on Influence of ISI in Pakistan Politics.
Hamid Mir was declared most popular current affairs TV anchor in March 2012
Biography
Mir was born in Lahore, Punjab. He educated there and completed his Matric examination from University Laboratory School New Campus and Government Central Model School. He received his intermediate degree from Government Science College and his Bachelor of Arts (B.A) degree from Government College. He earned his Master of Arts (M.A) in mass communications from the University of Punjab in 1989. He played cricket but left the sport after the sudden death of his father.[3]
Family
Mir belongs to a literary and journalistic family. His grandfather Mir Abdul Aziz was a famous Urdu, Persian, and Punjabi language poet from Sialkot who actively participated in the movement for the creation of Pakistan under the leadership of Muhammad Ali Jinnah.[citation needed] Mir's father, professor Waris Mir,[4] was a columnist forDaily Jang and a critic of military dictator General Ziaul Haq,[5] for which he was removed from the chairmanship of the Mass Communication Department of the University in the 1980s.[5] Professor Waris Mir died on July 9, 1987 under mysterious circumstances at the age of 48; it has been alleged that he was poisoned by the then military regime. It was claimed the cause was a heart attack, contradicted by reports of frothing in his mouth. Mir entered the field of journalism immediately after the death of his father at a very young age.
Mir has three brothers, two are also journalists. Amir Mir works for The News International[citation needed] and Imran Mir works for Pakistan Television, third one, Adil Mir, is an industrialist. Mir's wife worked with Pakistan television and for a private television channel for many years. The couple has two children, son Arafat Mir and daughter Ayesha Mir. His children and wife were forced to spend at least three months outside Pakistan from May 2007 to July 2007 for security reasons.[6]
Journalistic career
Mir joined the Daily Jang (Lahore) in 1987 and worked there as sub-editor, reporter, feature writer and edition in charge. In 1994, he broke the submarines purchase scandal in Daily Jang. Some close friends of Asif Zardari(husband of then Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto) were involved in that scandal, along with some Navy officials. Mir lost his job the day his article was published.[7]
In 1996, Mir became the editor of the Daily Pakistan in Islamabad, making him the youngest editor of any national Urdu newspaper in the history of Pakistani journalism. He lost his job again in 1997, when he wrote an article in the Daily Pakistan about the alleged corruption of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.[7] Also on December 25, 1997, he launched Daily Ausaf (Islamabad) as founding editor.
Mir spent ten days in eastern Afghanistan, where he investigated the escape of Osama bin Ladin from Tora Bora mountains in December 2001.[8] Mir visited the caves of bin Ladin, where he spent time during the US bombing. Mir also disclosed that it was US-backed Northern Alliance leader Hazrat Ali who provided safe passage to bin Ladin after getting a huge bribe.[9]
In 2002, Mir joined GEO TV as the Northern Region editor. Since November 2002, he has hosted GEO TV's Capital Talk, a political talk show in which top Pakistani politicians from the government and opposition have appeared. He is currently writing a biography of Osama bin Ladin, as well as a weekly column in Daily Jang.[10]
Other international figures interviewed by him include Condoleezza Rice, Tony Blair and L K Advani.[11] Mir was arrested by Hezbullah 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 Hezbullah was assured that he was not an Israeli spy.[12]
On March 16, 2007, during live coverage of the lawyers' protest against the suspension of the then Chief Justice of Supreme Court Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, Mir was attacked by police at his Islamabad office.[13] Later the then President, Pervez Musharraf apologized to Mir in his live TV show Capital Talk within few hours of the attack.[14] Mir was banned by General Pervez Musharraf in November 2007 for four months on Geo News network. Mir came on roads after the ban and organized street shows. He became an international figure after staging shows on the roads, gathering huge crowds. TheWashington Post published a front-page article on his show on the roads.[15] He was again banned by the government of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in June 2008 for a few days on Geo News.[16] His investigative documentary on the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto aired on Geo TV on December 23, 2008, and created considerable controversy in Pakistan.[17]
Mir became a voice of peace and objective journalism during the India–Pakistan tension created after the Mumbai attacks in November 2008.[18] Der Spiegeldeclared him the most popular journalist in Pakistan.[19]
Mir has participated in many international seminars and conferences on terrorism. He appears regularly on CNN, BBC and many Indian channels as a security analyst.[20] Mir claimed in an interview with independent online news source CanadianFreePress.com—that Al-Qaeda had acquired three so called 'suitcase nukes' from Russia, and had successfully smuggled them to Europe. Mir alleges these weapons have been in the possession of Al-Qaeda since long before the 9/11 terror attacks in New York and Washington, D.C., and that they were originally intended to be targeted against London, Paris and Los Angeles.
Mir also claims that Al-Qaeda has 23 sleeper agents inside the United States (minus the 19 who died carrying out the 9/11 attacks) and that these terrorists already have enough radioactive material for six 'dirty bombs'.[21]
In May 2010 an audio tape [22] of a conversation between Mir and one Usman Punjabi who was allegedly the 2nd in command of Hakimullah Mehsud surfaced. In the tape they 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.".[23] Mir has denied the authenticity of the tape "I never said these things to these people. This is a concocted tape, [..] They took my voice, sampled it and manufactured this conspiracy against me." Nothing was proved against Mir in any court. Later on Usman Punjabi was killed by Taliban.[24]
Notable papers, awards and work
Awarded Hilal-e-Imtiaz on August 14th 2012 for his services in Journalism.[27]Earned an All Pakistan Newspapers Society (APNS) award for best columnist (Urdu) for the years 1996,1997,and 1998.
Received the Maharishi Samman Award for Excellence in Journalism announced by Trust for Media Studies, inJodhpur, India in March, 2005.
Awarded the Fatima Jinnah Gold Medal from the Ministry of Women Development, Government of Pakistan for writing and speaking in support of women's rights, in August 2005.
Interviewed Osama Bin Laden for the Daily Pakistan in 1997, for the Daily Ausaf in 1998, and for the Daily Dawnin 2001.[28][29] The latter was the first interview after 9/11 by any journalist, and the BBC and CNN declared it an international scoop. The Monthly Herald announced that interview as the scoop of the year in its annual issue of December 2001.[28]
Author of a book on the political philosophy of Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, published in 1990, which is still in print.
On March 26, 2010, The foundation of South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation Writers and Literature have nominated Mir for the SAARC Lifetime Achievement Award 2010.[30][31]
In December 2011, Hamid Mir received Several Death Threatsafter he hosted a TV show on Influence of ISI in Pakistan Politics.
Hamid Mir was declared most popular current affairs TV anchor in March 2012
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