Anger, dismay as news anchor accepts demanding iPhones before forgiving influential youth

KARACHI: People of the country reacted with criticism and anger after a new anchor belonging to a private TV channel accepted demanding two iPhones before forgiving an influential youth whose video of breaking law and threatening the news anchor went viral on social media this week, ARY News reported.

According to details, Ali Arif, a news anchor, posted two videos on his social media account on May 5, in which a college student who was allegedly driving his vehicle the wrong way on a one way track threatened Ali Arif and broke his phone after the news anchor protested upon this misconduct.

“My father is the district chairman Balochistan. Do whatever you can,” a college student Junaid Kakar can be seen in the video as saying.

In another video, the boy and his brother can be seen going for Ali Arif’s phone and trying to break it.

As the video was widely shared on social media, Junaid Kakar was arrested and was put behind bars before Ali Arif announced to forgive him and his brother.

When Kakar was arrested, Ali Arif posted a tweet on social media with his picture and hashtag #VIPCULTURE REJECTED

But yesterday, in a leaked audio doing rounds on Facebook and Twitter, Ali Arif can be heard demanding two iPhones in return of his broken phone and to forgive the two boys.

ذاتی طور پر جاننے کی وجہ سے میں تصدیق کر سکتا ہوں یہ آواز علی عارف صاحب ہی کی ہے@i_aliarif مجھے شرمندگی ہے کہ ایسے لوگ ہماری انڈسٹری کا حصہ ہیں، یا میں اس انڈسٹری کا حصہ ہوں جہاں لوگ دو موبائل فونز پر بِک جاتے ہیں۔ pic.twitter.com/nnKWEu2BAA

— Iqrar ul Hassan Syed (@iqrarulhassan) May 9, 2018

The voice note angered many a people following the developments related to this incident closely and expecting legal justice amid claims that the audio might not be genuine but the anchor today accepted that he demanded the phones to teach the influential youth a “lesson” in humility.

He maintained that his mother asked him to forgive the boys for she didn’t want him to come to harm during this dispute with an influential family but journalist fraternity and social media users have criticised Ali Arif for failing to fight after bringing the issue on media.

ARY News anchor and Sar-e-Aam show host Iqrar-ul-Hassan too criticised Ali Arif’s move by saying that his move will embolden such youths from influential families to openly violate laws of this country without any fear of apprehension.

Ali Arif, however, claimed that he only demanded phones out of anger but didn’t receive any and didn’t forgive them in return of phones.