22.05.02
HARDtalk
Pakistan with Riz Kha series opens with General Musharraf interview
Friday,
May 24th, 2002 at 20:30 Pakistan time
On
Friday May 24th, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World, the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's 24-hour international news
and information channel, will broadcast a new series called HARDtalk
Pakistan featuring a one to one interview with the Pakistani President
General Pervez Musharraf. This will make Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World the first international
broadcaster to produce a series in Pakistan, aimed at audiences
in South Asia. HARDtalk Pakistan is a ten-part series of one to
one interviews with key figures in the country and is hosted by
world-renowned journalist, Riz Khan. The first interview, with General
Musharraf, will be shown on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World in the region on Friday, May
24th 2002 at 20:30 Pakistan time.
In
this specially-commissioned series, Riz Khan will focus on the major
political, economic and social issues facing Pakistan today. Riz
Khan will be interviewing ten people making the news among whom
will be leading political figures from all parties, including President
General Pervez Musharraf and Imran Khan as well as key social and
political activists like Asma Jahangir and well known authors like
Ahmed Rashid. The series will be transmitted every Friday evening
for ten weeks at 20:30 Pakistan time and repeated every Sunday at
13:30 Pakistan time.
Speaking
about the forthcoming series, Riz Khan, presenter of HARDtalk Pakistan
said, "I am very excited to have an opportunity on Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World
to focus on Pakistan at such a pivotal time in the country's future.
It is a nuclear power that has been brought into focus by the US-led
war against terrorism. It has found itself torn between the role
of a participant in the fight against terrorism and the need to
respect the religious and cultural make-up of its society. I hope
that these programmes will offer some hard-hitting interviews and
insights continuing in the tradition of Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World's HARDtalk programming.
"
Commenting
on the exciting development for the channel, Patrick Cross, Managing
Director, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World said "We are delighted to be launching
this unique new series as part of our South Asia and Middle East
programming. Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World aims to reflect the realities throughout
the region in the programmes we commission and broadcast, and this
HARDtalk Pakistan series will certainly do just that."
Notes
to editors:
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World is the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's 24-hour English language international news
and information channel, reaching 214 million homes in 200 countries
and territories worldwide (92 million 24-hour homes) including over
20 million homes in South Asia and the Middle East.
Viewers
covered under the PAS 10 satellite will be able to watch the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
World series HARDtalk Pakistan. It covers the following countries;
Bangladesh, Bahrain, India, Iraq, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Maldives,
Nepal, Oman, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, U.A.E.
Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ
World is also available on cable throughout Pakistan.
Born
in Yemen and raised in the UK, Riz Khan was trained as a journalist
by the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ before going on to become one of the first presenters
on the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's first international news channel when it was launched
in 1991. In 2001 he returned to Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World screens to present two
specially-commissioned programmes from the Haj in Mecca and a series
of programmes about modern day Kuwait.
Launched
in its present form in 1995, Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ World is a commercial service,
run by Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Worldwide and funded by advertising and subscription.
All details are on the website .
|
