Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal on Friday sought to dispel speculation surrounding the brief disruption of his live interview on ARY News, urging the public to avoid what he described as “unnecessary politicisation” of the incident.
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The interruption occurred on Thursday night when the minister joined ARY News programme 11th Hour, hosted by Waseem Badami, via a video link. As Iqbal was speaking about possible talks between the government and the opposition, the conversation was suddenly disrupted by an unidentified voice, not visible on screen, shouting “Shut this” in an aggressive tone. Moments later, the video link was disconnected.
@ajmaljami hurried to rescue Ahsan Iqbal but was unsuccessful. As per this so called journalists, there were children at home who disrupted the live broadcast, but it was an adult’s voice that was instructing Ahsan Iqbal to halt this broadcast
This is how genuine assets of the… pic.twitter.com/MiSLU5DPV7— Yasar Maqbool (@yasar_maqbool) December 25, 2025
🔴 Live on TV criticising PTI & Imran Khan, the man behind Uraan Pakistan & Federal Minister Ahsan Iqbal is abruptly silenced by an angry off-screen voice: “Band karo isay.” Feed cuts. He looks helpless. Returns later claiming “all is well.” — So… who shut him up? pic.twitter.com/DtzPExPEcD
— Raza Dotani (@rdotani) December 25, 2025
The unexpected disruption prompted the programme host to express concern on air, saying he hoped the minister was safe and uncertain about what had just occurred. Shortly afterwards, Iqbal rejoined the programme and reassured viewers that everything was fine.
Clips of the incident quickly circulated on social media, triggering widespread speculation and political commentary, with some users suggesting that the disruption may have been deliberate or politically motivated.
Responding to the controversy early Friday morning, Ahsan Iqbal clarified the situation in a post on X. He explained that the interruption was accidental and occurred because someone nearby was engaged in an argument and was unaware that he was live on air. He added that he was able to rejoin the interview shortly after the disruption.
“I hope we can avoid unnecessary politicisation of this,” the minister said, calling for restraint in interpreting the incident.
Journalist Ajmal Jami also addressed the matter on social media, stating that he had spoken directly with Iqbal after watching the clip. According to Jami, the minister said there was a family gathering at his Islamabad residence at the time and children unexpectedly entered his study, leading to the brief disruption.
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Information Minister Ataullah Tarar further corroborated the explanation, confirming that he too had spoken with Iqbal. Tarar said the interruption was caused by children running into the study unexpectedly and emphasised that the minister was safe and had resumed the interview.