Why was Ahsan Iqbal’s live video call cut mid-show?

WEB DESK: An unexpected incident occurred during a live television programme on Thursday night when Federal Minister for Planning Ahsan Iqbal’s video call was abruptly disconnected, leaving the show’s host and viewers visibly startled.

Iqbal was participating in the programme via video link and was speaking about potential negotiations with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) when the disruption took place at around 11:16pm. During the live broadcast, an unidentified person suddenly appeared at the location from where the minister was joining the programme.

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As Iqbal continued speaking, he looked up towards the person, at which point a voice was heard saying, “Stop it, stop it.” The individual then appeared to reach for the mobile phone. In the ensuing confusion, the minister hurriedly grabbed the device, and the video call was cut off mid-conversation.

The sudden interruption unsettled the programme’s anchor, who questioned on air whether the minister was participating from his residence and instructed the production team to gather details about the incident. The show was then taken off air for a commercial break.

Brief return and official clarification

After nearly seven minutes, the anchor returned to the broadcast but did not immediately address the incident. The panel of guests had changed following the break, and Iqbal did not rejoin the programme at that stage.

Iqbal later reconnected with the show at around 11:46pm. Responding to a question from anchor Waseem Badami, he offered only a brief explanation, saying that there had been a minor issue but that everything was now fine.

Separately, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar sought to clarify the matter through a post on social media platform X. He said he had spoken to Iqbal, who explained that children had unexpectedly run into his study room during the live broadcast, causing the disruption.

Tarar added that the situation had since been resolved and confirmed that Iqbal had rejoined the programme, putting to rest speculation surrounding the brief but awkward on-air incident.