Moeed Pirzada refuses to back down in face of Nasim Zehra’s defamation lawsuit

A row has erupted between two of Pakistan’s leading television anchors, Moeed Pirzada and Nasim Zehra, after Pirzada referred to a recent TV discussion between Zehra and journalist Hamid Mir as “rubbish, deliberate and scripted.” Zehra had called for a court martial of former army chief Gen (Retd) Qamar Javed Bajwa during the show. Zehra announced she would sue Pirzada for slander and file a defamation suit against him in a US court.

Pirzada responded on Twitter, questioning the “substandard program” and out-of-context discussion conducted by Zehra. He added that the discussion was planned and scripted to support political figures such as Nawaz Sharif, Mohsin Naqvi, Asif Ali Zardari, and Gen. Asim Munir. Pirzada also praised Zehra as a bold journalist and ferocious critic.

Surprised! Nasim Zehra we all know is a bold journalist, a ferocious critic of others their ideas, interests & situations all her life! When has she become so sensitive & weak not to bear criticism of a substandard program & out of context discussion she conducted?
Will… https://t.co/qpaUwPRJtX

— Moeed Pirzada (@MoeedNj) April 26, 2023

The controversy surrounds a discussion broadcast on 24News HD TV, one of three channels owned by Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, who has the support of Zardari and Sharif, and the army chief Gen Asim Munir. During the discussion, Hamid Mir disclosed that Bajwa had once told journalists that the Pakistani military did not have enough diesel to keep its tanks running. Mir also claimed that Bajwa wanted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to visit Pakistan without the knowledge of Imran Khan’s government.

Zehra responded to Pirzada’s remarks by stating that ignoring such slanderous comments would be inexcusable. She also announced that she plans to release a vlog to explain her position.

Pirzada, a prominent analyst and presenter, has previously worked for a number of Pakistani news channels, including GEO News, Dunya News, and ARY News. He has also served as a director at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad.