Karachi: Mehar Bukhari, the
controversial hostess of Dunya TV news channel, is among those faces
made their debut in the electronic media in the past one decade and
gradually attained reputation as an outspoken and an influential
anchorperson in the national political scenario.
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Without any prior experience of
journalism, Bukhari was become the part of launching team of Samaa TV in
2007 and manipulated public opinion on the social and political issues
of the country through her talk shows.
Nai Rahei
She became anchorperson of the program
“Nai Rahei”, which highlighted the issues of the women in urban and
rural areas initially. Later on the focused of program was shifted on
issues of Pakistan’s society and its problems.
Mehar came in the limelight when a fake
footage in her program in which Tribal areas Taliban lashed out a young
girl publicly on the pretext of illicit relationship with a man.
The program gained reputation with obvious high rating and become leading topic of every TV channel and newspaper.
Though the video provided by Samar
Minallah was later declared as faked by the court of law since there was
no such incident reported by police however its impacts were widespread
at the time it was raised.
News Beat
Mehar Bukhari was later made the hostess
of political show “News Beat” in which she appeared to be more blatant
and confident interviewing top political leaders of the country on
different topics.
She conducted many successful live shows and attained viewers’ attentions in few months as credible and brave anchorperson.
In 2010, her photos with CIA official in
US Embassy were surfaced on internet and social media that caused dent
to her credibility first time as her fans were heart-broken with her
gestures shown in the snaps.
Though there were other female
anchorpersons belonging to different news channels seen in the photos
but Bukhari can be seen more frankly with male US officials, which is
unacceptable in our society and raised many questions on her partiality
as media person.
In the same year in August, a video
footage of Mehar Bukhari was uploaded and shared widely on Youtube and
Facebook in which she looked to be very close to the federal ministers
(Qamar uz Zama Kaira and Raja Pervaiz Ashraf) who had been criticized
in her show.
Fatwa on Salman Taseer
In 2011, she telecasted fatwa of a local scholar on the killing of slain Salman Taseer that invited harsh criticism and reactions from liberal scholars on the content of her show.
She lost her job in Samaa TV after Mr Taseer was assassinated.
Crossfire at Dunya News
Mehar Bukhari joined Dunay TV in May
2011 against handsome salary of more than one million rupees. She
started conducted her show “Crossfire” after couple of months and
continued to hold talk shows on national political issues to play a
vital role in making public opinion through leading news channel.
Marriage with Kashif Abbasi
She came in the limelight again in November 2011 when she got married with Kashif Abbasi, a senior anchor of ARY News Channel. Her husband
is considered though a decent anchor but he could not influence her
professional career positively as she continued to carry out
controversial programs.
Dunya Leaks Scandal
And now in June 2012, she has been exposed by a leaked video conducting a “planted show” for manipulation of public opinion in the favor of Malik Riaz, a real estate tycoon.
The show not only created mess in Dunya News and media industry but also grabbed the attention of supreme judiciary of the country, which ordered an inquiry of the program after a day.
The co-host of the program, Mubashir Lucman, was suspended by Dunya News management but her fate has yet to be decided.
Bukhari though tried in vain to explain
about the content of the program at her show but she has lost a majority
of her fans and viewers who got surprised and enraged to watch her
gestures and conversations in the off-air time of talk shows.
In the span five years, the career of
Mehar Bukhari was full with successes, controversies and scandals. Now
the viewers of the TV channels will decide whether her show should be
watched or not.
