ISLAMABAD – Federal Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry has played a reconciliation role to end differences between Pakistan’s star cricketer Shoaib Akhtar and former PTV host Dr Nauman Niaz after they engaged in a spat during a live sports programme.
The minister shared a picture with the duo with a caption stating that it was not a big issue but it was turned into a fireball by social media.
He added, “All is well that ends well”.
دوست دو چار نکلتے ہیں کہیں لاکھوں میں
جتنے ہوتے ہیں سوا اتنے ہی کم ہوتے ہیں۔۔۔۔۔۔۔۔ بات اتنی نہیں تھی کہ اس پر اتنی گفتگو ہوتی لیکن کیا ہے کہ سوشل میڈیا اب اتنا بڑا ہے کہ چھوٹی باتیں بھی بڑی ہو جاتی ہیں، بہرحال All is well that ends well #GameOnHai #PTV pic.twitter.com/TLsGjfUw13
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) November 13, 2021
Sources said that senior journalist Saleem Safi also played a key role in the patch-up between them.
In a video message, Nauman again said sorry to Shoaib Akhtar for what happened on the screen. “It should not have happened,” he said.
Shoaib Akhtar and Dr Nauman Niaz end their fight. Dr Nauman Niaz sorry to Shoaib Akhtar #ShoaibAkhtar pic.twitter.com/8t6QOFDF3E
— Malik Ali Raza (@MalikAliiRaza) November 13, 2021
Last month, Shoaib Akhtar quit and walked off a Pakistan Television (PTV) show after being “insulted” by Niaz.
The two were part of a panel for PTV Sports programme “Game On Hai” along with guests such as West Indies batting legend Sir Vivian Richards, former England captain David Gower, former Pakistan women’s captain Sana Mir and former fast bowler Umar Gul.
The panel was discussing the Pakistan-New Zealand T20 World Cup match which Pakistan won by five wickets.
During a discussion on the Pakistan squad, Akhtar credited the Pakistan Super League’s Lahore Qalandars franchise for discovering Shaheen Shah Afridi and Haris Rauf.
Niaz took issue with Akhtar’s comments and said: “You are being a little rude so I don’t want to say this but if you’re being over-smart then you can go. I am saying this on air.”
Once the show resumed after a break, Akhtar apologised to the guests on the panel and announced his resignation from PTV, saying that he could not continue with the programme because of “how I was treated on national television”.
The incident soon became viral on social media with the two individuals becoming top trends on Twitter and videos of the confrontation circulating which prompted Akhtar to issue a video message to “clarify” the situation.
However, in another snippet from the show, Akhtar can be seen telling Niaz to let the audience know “it was all planned.
What we did is just try and get more TRP (television rating point)”, adding that the anchor was a “favourite guy” of his and he liked to “pull his legs”.
Akhtar, later in a tweet, rejected the notion that it was a pre-planned move to boost TRP as he gave context to his own remarks that on face appeared as an admission of it being a stunt.
Terming the entire thing as an “unpleasant” incident, Akhtar said Niaz was being “obnoxious” and had asked him to leave for “no rhyme and reason”.
“He sidelined me after abruptly insulting me — a national star — on national TV and then went on break.
Later, the PTV launched an inquiry into the spat and took Dr Niaz and Akhtar off-air until completion of the probe.
After uproar on social media, Niaz tendered an “unconditional apology” for his misconduct with Shoaib Akhtar, prompting the resignation of the former star pacer from the channel.
Read more: https://pakobserver.net/shoaib-akhtar-quits-ptv-walks-off-show-after-being-insulted-by-anchor/
