Federal Planning Minister Ahsan Iqbal has called on the public to avoid unnecessary politicisation after a brief disruption occurred during his live interview on ARY News on Thursday night.
Iqbal had joined the channel’s current affairs programme 11th Hour via video link, where he was discussing the issue of talks between the government and the opposition. During the live broadcast, the conversation was suddenly interrupted when an unseen individual could be heard shouting “Shut this” in an aggressive tone, after which the minister’s video call was disconnected.
The unexpected interruption prompted visible concern from the programme’s host, who briefly questioned whether the minister was safe. “I hope everything is well. I don’t know what just happened,” the host remarked on air.
Moments later, Iqbal rejoined the programme and reassured viewers that there was no cause for concern. Despite this clarification, clips of the interruption quickly circulated on social media, triggering speculation that the incident may have had political undertones.
Addressing the matter on X early Friday morning, Iqbal explained that the disruption was purely accidental. He stated that someone nearby was involved in an argument and was unaware that he was live on television. “I rejoined the interview shortly afterward,” he said, urging people to refrain from drawing political conclusions.
Journalist Ajmal Jami also weighed in, sharing that he had spoken to the minister directly. According to Jami, there was a family gathering at Iqbal’s Islamabad residence when children unexpectedly entered his study, causing the brief disturbance.
Information Minister Ataullah Tarar echoed the explanation, confirming that children had run into the room and that the situation was quickly resolved.
The clarification appears to have put the matter to rest, with officials emphasizing that the incident was a harmless interruption rather than a political episode.