The clip went viral on Sunday, with many commentators voicing their contempt at the journalists’ remarks. In the clip, the journalist and TV personality called for 'authoritarian rule’ and ‘dictatorship’ in Pakistan.
https://twitter.com/hyzaidi/status/1477623376655130631?s=24
During an interview with News Beat, Nisar said, “Pakistan needs uninterrupted 15 years of authoritarian rule to fix everything from primary education to population control. Anyone mentioning democracy should be dealt by a firing squad and his family should pay for the bullets fired on him. It’s our moral job to try and give Imran Khan 5 years uninterrupted.”
The journalist and TV commentator also bemoaned the state of primary education in the country asking, “Are these children going to take over the country?”
Many noted the double standard, and questioned why Nisar was not receiving any official reprimand for his anti-democratic comments on public television.
https://twitter.com/HamzaAzhrSalam/status/1477594474624729095
https://twitter.com/RohailDar/status/1477696908978233361
https://twitter.com/NidaKirmani/status/1477883334567116801
Others noted that Pakistan was founded as a constitutional democracy, and calls dictatorship go against the authority of the state.
https://twitter.com/AsadAToor/status/1477639399630323712
https://twitter.com/Wabbasi007/status/1477866399993270272
https://twitter.com/sahunzai/status/1477696280205869059
This is not the first time Hasan Nisar has stirred controversy. He was criticized in December 2020 for an onscreen spat with female journalist Reema Omer, whom he continuously interrupted throughout their segment. He was also accused by his sons of severely mistreating his wife and children during their upbringing.
The ongoing controversy surrounding the journalist led some to question his wellbeing.
https://twitter.com/ell_enn/status/1477596772608483331
https://twitter.com/Roohan_Ahmed/status/1477736698939207683