British-American broadcaster Mehdi Hasan found himself unable to contain his laughter when PML-N leader Hina Parvez Butt suggested that former Prime Minister Imran Khan paid for an interview with Hasan for his media company ‘Zeteo’.
Responding to Butt’s social media post sharing a screenshot of the interview link, Hasan clarified that ‘paid’ indicated the post was exclusive to subscribers of Zeteo, dispelling the notion of monetary compensation for the interview.
In a witty retort, Hasan highlighted Butt’s conspiracy theory, remarking on the irony of an elected official pushing such baseless claims. He quipped, “Imagine being this ignorant & conspiratorial… & elected! Lol.”
Addressing the alleged conspiracy further, Hasan emphasized that if Imran Khan indeed paid for an interview with Zeteo, it wouldn’t be advertised openly as ‘PAID’ at the top, negating any clandestine intentions.
Earlier this year, Hasan launched Zeteo, featuring video, podcasts, and text journalism, following his departure from US news channel MSNBC. The interview with Khan conducted by Hasan shed light on the incumbent government’s legitimacy and Khan’s criticism of former Chief of Army Staff General Qamar Javed Bajwa.
However, Hasan clarified that due to restrictions, he could only send written questions to Khan, unable to engage in follow-up queries. Khan’s remarks on life behind bars, alleging mistreatment and psychological tactics, were met with scrutiny and skepticism.