Agha Iftikhar Ahmad is a Pakistani political activist and research journalist. After his release from jail in 1980, Ahmad began his career with Jang Media Network, where he rose to a prominent position. Ahmad is presently the Geo News Network’s Director of Elections, Investigations, Special Projects, and Research (EISPAR). For nearly ten years, Iftikhar Ahmad presented the interview show Jawab Deyh on Geo News TV.
On October 18, 2014, Iftikhar Ahmad joined BOL Network as Senior Executive Vice President and Senior Anchorperson at BOL News. On May 23, 2015, Kamran Khan, Asma Shirazi, and Iftikhar Ahmad departed BOL Network owing to corruption charges against Axact, the parent company of Bol News TV. He is also known for supporting the PML N agenda, earning him the nickname “Lifafi.” Later, he joined Dunya News, but he soon left. As of 2019, he is associated with 24 News HD.
Education
Iftikhar Ahmad was born in 1950 and was raised in Lahore, Pakistan. He got his early education from Multan. He attended Lahore’s Central Model School, MAO College, and the University of the Punjab.
Political Activity
Iftikhar Ahmad has been a political activist since 1967. He took part in the movement against military dictator Field Marshal Ayub Khan.
His political philosophy corresponded with socialist ideas, and he was mesmerised by Zulfikar Ali Bhutto. In his undergraduate thesis, he advocated for socialist ideas and their importance in modern societies. In 1973, Ahmad wrote his thesis in support of Bhutto’s socialist economic policies and argued for the country’s necessity for socialism. Ahmad was imprisoned several times during the martial law governments for numerous violations of the Legal Framework Order, of 1970. He was detained at Sibi Central Jail, Shahpur Central Jail, Camp Jail in Lahore, and Lahore Fort.
Ahmad has also served as adviser to two Punjab Chief Ministers and one Governor. According to his political philosophy, the true political difference is always between the rich and the poor. He claims that Pakistan would never have a better leader than Zulfikar Ali Bhutto, or a better political slogan than “Roti, Kapra aur Makan.” Iftikhar Ahmad, a journalist with over 30 years of experience, is noted for his probing and aggressive reporting style.
Career
Iftikhar Ahmad began his journalism career in 1982 with the newspaper Subh-o Khair and since then he has worked for a number of newspapers, including Daily Aftab and Daily Pakistan. He’s been with Daily Jang since 1986. In the 1980s, Ahmad started carrying out personal interviews with politicians, which were unique in that politicians divulged sensitive details for the first time. Ahmad’s interviews for the Daily Jang established a new trend in Pakistani journalism.
Ahmad founded Jang Group’s Election Cell in 1988 and has covered more than five political elections, as well as Geo Election Cell in Pakistan’s General Elections in 2002, 2008, and 2013.
Ahmad also collaborated closely with the Geo News Administration and a fellow friend and journalist, Hamid Mir, on the Zara Sochiye social awareness campaign on Geo News TV. After the airing of the discussion on the Hudood Ordinance, the National Assembly of Pakistan ratified the Hudood Ordinances, a campaign that attempted to start a conversation on topics that divide the Pakistani population.
Controversy-Pleading the Case For Bhutto
Through his program Jawabdeh, Ahmad has questioned several major players in General Zia ul Haq’s coup and subsequent hanging of then-elected Prime Minister Z.A. Bhutto.
Some of these people revealed Zia’s true motives throughout these interviews. For example, Justice Naseem Hassan Shah, a member of the Pakistan Supreme Court bench affirmed Bhutto’s death sentence. He stated in his interview with Ahmad that he should have voted against the hanging and felt horrible about it. He also admitted that there was insufficient evidence to sentence Bhutto to death.
Ahmad has conducted at least 40 interviews, which, while historically significant, are considered by many as an attempt to absolve Bhutto.
He has frequently been labelled as a Bhutto loyalist or a Bhuttoist.
Opponents further claim that Ahmad has strong ties with the Pakistan People’s Party Cadre.
His interview with Naseem Hassan Shah prompted the PPP to apply for the reopening of Mr Bhutto’s case. The interview was also used as the foundation for a lawsuit against Mr. Naseem Hassan Shah, in which he claimed that Zia-ul-Haq compelled them to hang “Bhutto Sahib” after Mr Naseem Hassan Shah admitted in the interview.
Resignation in Protest
He resigned from Geo TV on November 17, 2008, in protest at the channel’s refusal to broadcast his interview with Shahid Masood. He claimed that he was previously pressured to delete significant portions of the interview, which he refused.
The Geo TV administration reversed their decision, and the entire interview aired the following week. After the show aired, Ahmad rescinded his resignation. Ahmad continues to maintain that no concessions can be made when it comes to principles.