ISLAMABAD: TV personality and cryptocurrency expert Waqar Zaka has addressed the allegations made against him by actor and host Nida Yasir, who accused him of attempting to harm her career during their time at ARY Digital.
In a video posted on his X account on Sunday, Zaka responded to the accusations, stating that he was busy at Stanford University in California and could not respond earlier.
Zaka emphasized the need to close the matter and suggested that Yasir’s motives were driven by a desire for ratings and publicity. He recounted an incident from 2020 where Yasir allegedly mishandled a sensitive situation by inviting the parents of a sexually abused and murdered girl on her show, causing them distress with inappropriate questions.
Waqar Zaka claimed that Yasir later falsely denied her team’s involvement and shifted blame to a social activist who supposedly approached the channel through Sarim Burney.
To support his claims, Zaka played a video featuring the social activist interviewing the deceased child’s family, who refuted Yasir’s version of events. He also aimed to disprove Yasir’s assertion that the FIR for the incident was filed only after the parents appeared on her show. According to Zaka, the family informed the activist that the report was filed on the day the girl disappeared, much earlier than the show’s airing date.
Zaka concluded by asserting that Yasir was upset with him for challenging her claims and revealed that he had urged Salman Iqbal to replace Yasir as the morning show host.
Shamshad Akhtar Denies Demonetization Plans For Rs5,000 Note
Meanwhile, caretaker Finance Minister Shamshad Akhtar reiterated that the government has no plans to remove the Rs5,000 note from circulation. In a Saturday night interview on Dunya News, Akhtar emphasized that addressing Pakistan’s economic challenges requires implementing reforms that encourage investment rather than resorting to demonetization, which she deemed ineffective.
