Aamir Liaquat Hussain
Encyclopedia
Aamir Liaquat Hussain (Urdu
: عامر لیاقت حسین) is a politician and broadcaster from Karachi
, Sindh
, Pakistan
. Aamir Liaquat Hussain is also former State Minister for Religious Affairs, and an anchor of popular TV programme Aalim Online on Geo TV
. On August 6, 2010, he officially joined ARY Digital Network
as Executive of ARY's Religious TV channel QTV (ARY)
Aamir Liaquat Hussain was born on July 5, 1971 at Karachi
. Aamir Liaquat Hussain contested 2002 general election under the supervision of Pervez Musharraf
, and the platform of his affiliated party Muttahida Qaumi Movement
. Aamir is also known for a video tape released on August 14, 2011 in which he is seen swearing, making fun of his guests and singing during the breaks, Aamir however claims the video to be unauthentic.
He has earned his popularity from his Ramadan special transmissions for Sehr and Iftar
. These transmissions were aired from Geo TV
till the Ramadan of 2009 and from ARY Digital Television
since 2010. This transmission took an entirely new format in the Ramadan 2011 and was titled Rahman Ramadan. Key features include scholars of all 4 Muslim sects in Aalim Aur Aalam, a cooking show, in-studio audience composed mainly of deserving people who receive help and support from viewers of the program in different ways.
In 2008 The King Of Saudi Arab, Shah Abdullah invited him in interfatith conference which was held in Makkah and Spain, where Aamir Liaquat represented Pakistan.
. He escaped the attack unharmed.
During the Lal Masjid
crisis, Hussain was said to be "soft" on the militants, though he clearly said he disagreed with the militants' ideology. He was also extremely critical of the British Government regarding the knighthood of Salman Rushdie.
On July 4, 2007 Aamir Liaquat Hussain resigned from his position as Minister of State for Religious Affairs and his membership to the National Assembly
after grave and severe differences with Muttahida Qaumi Movement
(MQM). According to the party official statement, the party was unhappy with the statements given by Aamir on Lal Masjid
and Salman Rushdie.
Aamir Liaquat Hussain resigned according to himself for personal reasons and according to a source in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement
(MQM), Aamir Liaquat Hussain was going to be head of a TV station.
beliefs and leaders (including the founder of Ahmadiyya movement Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
) were criticized very harshly. One of the guest he was hosting said that Ahmadis are liable to be killed. A few days later, two Ahmadis
were shot dead in Nawabshah
, Sindh
. The MQM blamed his TV show for inciting the violence. On September 10, 2008 Muttahida Qaumi Movement
officially cancelled the basic membership of Aamir Liaquat Hussain, citing ideological differences.
had made it compulsory for contestants of elections for seats in the Provincial and National Assembly of Pakistan to hold at least a Bachelors degree. Hussain submitted to the election commission his BA degree in Islamic Studies issued by a now known degree mill, Trinity College and University (based in Spain but incorporated in Dover, Delaware (USA)), while filing his nomination forms for October 2002 general elections. He also claimed to hold a PhD from the same university. However, in 2005 the University of Karachi declared his degree not recognized. In June 13, 2006, the Higher Education Commission, also revealed that the degree of Aamir Liaquat Hussain was not recognised. There is growing pressure on Aamir Liaqat Hussain to apologize openly for all of his misdeeds ands stop using terms as doctor, scholar etc. and to return to the state all benefits earned by him as minister because of his fake degrees. Mubasher Lucman
also hosted a show about the fake degrees of him. He asserted that the degrees could not have been procured in such short a time frame. He also telephoned Aamir on his show but did not get a response.
, Facebook
and Youtube
. The video quickly became viral attracting thousands of views in hours. The video prompted Liaquat to talk about the viral phenomenon the next day in his program and on Twitter
, calling the video a fake, a campaign against him by GEO TV
responding to better TV ratings for The ARY Digital TV Channel
and people who don't want to promote love for the Islamic prophet Muhammad
, to malign his credibility. Hussain also claimed that the alleged GEO TV campaign was supported by those who do not believe in the Finality of the Prophethood, a reference to the persecuted
Ahmadiya Muslim Community he had earlier criticized. A remix of the video satirizing the contrast between Hussain's public, on-air public piety and off-the-record utterances was created soon after the original video was released. He was later announced as a hypocrite by the people of Pakistan after a leaked video showing him using vulgar words and being disrespectful.
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
: عامر لیاقت حسین) is a politician and broadcaster from Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
, Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. Aamir Liaquat Hussain is also former State Minister for Religious Affairs, and an anchor of popular TV programme Aalim Online on Geo TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
. On August 6, 2010, he officially joined ARY Digital Network
ARY Digital Network
ARY Digital Network is a subsidiary of the ARY Group. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Haji Abdul Razzak Yaqoob...
as Executive of ARY's Religious TV channel QTV (ARY)
QTV (ARY)
ARY Qtv is a Pakistani television channel with a Sunni religious focus, producing programs mainly focusing on the Ahle Sunnat Wal Jama'at school of thought in Ummah. It is part of the ARY Digital Network. The channel has shows featuring well-known scholars such as Dr...
Aamir Liaquat Hussain was born on July 5, 1971 at Karachi
Karachi
Karachi is the largest city, main seaport and the main financial centre of Pakistan, as well as the capital of the province of Sindh. The city has an estimated population of 13 to 15 million, while the total metropolitan area has a population of over 18 million...
. Aamir Liaquat Hussain contested 2002 general election under the supervision of Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
, and the platform of his affiliated party Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
. Aamir is also known for a video tape released on August 14, 2011 in which he is seen swearing, making fun of his guests and singing during the breaks, Aamir however claims the video to be unauthentic.
Professional career
He had been attached to print media over 133 years as editor and as columnist in different newspapers. In the beginning of his career he was trained by famous mahajir scholar Saad Iqbal, who taught him trick of the trade. Saad Iqbal treated Amir Liaquat as his younger brother and used to help him in building his career in MQM. As host he did his first program on Geo television network, the program Aalim Online became symbol of spreading interfaith harmony among sects. He joined ARY Network in 2010 as Executive Director and Managing Director of QTV. He is now hosting the program Aalim Aur Aalam.He has earned his popularity from his Ramadan special transmissions for Sehr and Iftar
Iftar
Iftar , refers to the evening meal when Muslims break their fast during the Islamic month of Ramadan. Iftar is one of the religious observances of Ramadan and is often done as a community, with people gathering to break their fast together. Iftar is done right after Maghrib time...
. These transmissions were aired from Geo TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
till the Ramadan of 2009 and from ARY Digital Television
ARY Digital
ARY Digital, a subsidiary of the ARY Group, is a popular Pakistani television network available in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob . The network caters to the...
since 2010. This transmission took an entirely new format in the Ramadan 2011 and was titled Rahman Ramadan. Key features include scholars of all 4 Muslim sects in Aalim Aur Aalam, a cooking show, in-studio audience composed mainly of deserving people who receive help and support from viewers of the program in different ways.
Achievements
In 2005 when Aamir Liaquat Hussain was Minister of State, he made all ulemas to give a collective fatwa against suicidal attacks. This fatwa was given by Mufti Muneeb-ur-Rahman with the support of 300 religious scholars.In 2008 The King Of Saudi Arab, Shah Abdullah invited him in interfatith conference which was held in Makkah and Spain, where Aamir Liaquat represented Pakistan.
2005 attack
In 2005 he was attacked during his visit to Jamia BinoriaJamia Binoria
Jamia Binoria is an international Sunni Islamic educational institute located in Karachi, Sindh, Pakistan. It is regarded as one of the most modern madrassas. It should not be confused with the Jamiah Islamiya madrassa in Binori Town, Karachi....
. He escaped the attack unharmed.
Minister of Religious Affairs
Hussain was formerly the Minister of State for Religious Affairs.During the Lal Masjid
Lal Masjid
The Lal Masjid is a mosque located in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. A religious school for women, the Jamia Hafsa madrasah, and a male madrasah, Jamia Faridia are attached to the mosque.-History:...
crisis, Hussain was said to be "soft" on the militants, though he clearly said he disagreed with the militants' ideology. He was also extremely critical of the British Government regarding the knighthood of Salman Rushdie.
On July 4, 2007 Aamir Liaquat Hussain resigned from his position as Minister of State for Religious Affairs and his membership to the National Assembly
National Assembly of Pakistan
The National Assembly of Pakistan is the lower house of the bicameral Majlis-e-Shura, which also compromises the President of Pakistan and Senate . The National Assembly and the Senate both convene at Parliament House in Islamabad...
after grave and severe differences with Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
(MQM). According to the party official statement, the party was unhappy with the statements given by Aamir on Lal Masjid
Lal Masjid
The Lal Masjid is a mosque located in Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. A religious school for women, the Jamia Hafsa madrasah, and a male madrasah, Jamia Faridia are attached to the mosque.-History:...
and Salman Rushdie.
Aamir Liaquat Hussain resigned according to himself for personal reasons and according to a source in the Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
(MQM), Aamir Liaquat Hussain was going to be head of a TV station.
Expulsion
On September 7, 2008, Hussain hosted two religious clerics on his TV Show Aalim Online (including a guest from anti-Ahmadiyya movement Aalmi Majlis Tahaffuz Khatm-e-Nubuwwat). During the show the AhmadiyyaAhmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
beliefs and leaders (including the founder of Ahmadiyya movement Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Mirza Ghulam Ahmad
Mīrzā Ghulām Aḥmad was a religious figure from India and the founder of the Ahmadiyya Community. He claimed to be the Mujaddid of the 14th Islamic century, the promised Messiah , and the Mahdi awaited by the Muslims in the end days...
) were criticized very harshly. One of the guest he was hosting said that Ahmadis are liable to be killed. A few days later, two Ahmadis
Ahmadiyya
Ahmadiyya is an Islamic religious revivalist movement founded in India near the end of the 19th century, originating with the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad , who claimed to have fulfilled the prophecies about the world reformer of the end times, who was to herald the Eschaton as...
were shot dead in Nawabshah
Nawabshah
Nawabshah , or Shaheed Benazirabad, is a district in the Sindh province of Pakistan. It is headquarter of Shaheed Benazir Abad District...
, Sindh
Sindh
Sindh historically referred to as Ba'ab-ul-Islam , is one of the four provinces of Pakistan and historically is home to the Sindhi people. It is also locally known as the "Mehran". Though Muslims form the largest religious group in Sindh, a good number of Christians, Zoroastrians and Hindus can...
. The MQM blamed his TV show for inciting the violence. On September 10, 2008 Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement
Muttahida Qaumi Movement generally known as MQM, is a liberal-secular political party of Pakistan. It is generally known as a party which holds immense mobilizing potential in province of Sindh...
officially cancelled the basic membership of Aamir Liaquat Hussain, citing ideological differences.
Fake Education Credentials
In 2002 Pakistan, Pervez MusharrafPervez Musharraf
Pervez Musharraf , is a retired four-star general who served as the 13th Chief of Army Staff and tenth President of Pakistan as well as tenth Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee. Musharraf headed and led an administrative military government from October 1999 till August 2007. He ruled...
had made it compulsory for contestants of elections for seats in the Provincial and National Assembly of Pakistan to hold at least a Bachelors degree. Hussain submitted to the election commission his BA degree in Islamic Studies issued by a now known degree mill, Trinity College and University (based in Spain but incorporated in Dover, Delaware (USA)), while filing his nomination forms for October 2002 general elections. He also claimed to hold a PhD from the same university. However, in 2005 the University of Karachi declared his degree not recognized. In June 13, 2006, the Higher Education Commission, also revealed that the degree of Aamir Liaquat Hussain was not recognised. There is growing pressure on Aamir Liaqat Hussain to apologize openly for all of his misdeeds ands stop using terms as doctor, scholar etc. and to return to the state all benefits earned by him as minister because of his fake degrees. Mubasher Lucman
Mubasher Lucman
Mubasher Lucman is a Pakistani talk show host. His subjects range from politics to social engineering to astrology. He writes not only in Urdu but also in the English dailies. Mr Lucman is also a film director and has produced and directed several commercials, television plays besides a feature...
also hosted a show about the fake degrees of him. He asserted that the degrees could not have been procured in such short a time frame. He also telephoned Aamir on his show but did not get a response.
Leaked Behind The Scenes Video
On August 14, 2011, a controversial video of behind the scenes from Aalim Online with Aamir Liaquat using vulgar language at difference instances of his show recordings hit the social media websites on Kalam TVKalam TV
Kalam Tv is a social networking website centralized around video sharing service. Initially launched on February, 2008 to meet the needs and the preferences of the people in the Middle East in terms of sharing and creating original videos, but it expanded services to Iran and Pakistan in mid 2009...
Facebook
Facebook is a social networking service and website launched in February 2004, operated and privately owned by Facebook, Inc. , Facebook has more than 800 million active users. Users must register before using the site, after which they may create a personal profile, add other users as...
and Youtube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
. The video quickly became viral attracting thousands of views in hours. The video prompted Liaquat to talk about the viral phenomenon the next day in his program and on Twitter
Twitter
Twitter is an online social networking and microblogging service that enables its users to send and read text-based posts of up to 140 characters, informally known as "tweets".Twitter was created in March 2006 by Jack Dorsey and launched that July...
, calling the video a fake, a campaign against him by GEO TV
Geo TV
Geo TV or Geo Television is a Pakistani television network, founded by Mr. Mir Shakil ur Rehman in May 2002 and owned by Independent Media Corporation. The channel began test transmission on 14 August 2002, with regular transmission beginning 1 October 2002...
responding to better TV ratings for The ARY Digital TV Channel
ARY Digital
ARY Digital, a subsidiary of the ARY Group, is a popular Pakistani television network available in Pakistan, the Middle East, North America and Europe. The ARY Group of companies is a Dubai-based holding company founded by a Pakistani businessman, Abdul Razzak Yaqoob . The network caters to the...
and people who don't want to promote love for the Islamic prophet Muhammad
Muhammad
Muhammad |ligature]] at U+FDF4 ;Arabic pronunciation varies regionally; the first vowel ranges from ~~; the second and the last vowel: ~~~. There are dialects which have no stress. In Egypt, it is pronounced not in religious contexts...
, to malign his credibility. Hussain also claimed that the alleged GEO TV campaign was supported by those who do not believe in the Finality of the Prophethood, a reference to the persecuted
Persecution of Ahmadiyya
The Persecution of Ahmadis is the religious persecution of Ahmadi Muslims as a consequence of professing their faith. They have been subject to various forms of persecution and discrimination since the movement's inception in 1889...
Ahmadiya Muslim Community he had earlier criticized. A remix of the video satirizing the contrast between Hussain's public, on-air public piety and off-the-record utterances was created soon after the original video was released. He was later announced as a hypocrite by the people of Pakistan after a leaked video showing him using vulgar words and being disrespectful.