Interviews
Interview with Jasmeen Maznoor
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Nida Amir interviewed Jasmeen Manzoor, the winner of the Benazir Excellence Award 2009 for the best Current Affairs Television Anchorperson. Jasmeen Manzoor has been working with Business Plus TV Pakistan, which is a renowned TV channel in the business and current affairs circuit. Prior to this assignment, she has worked for the state-run Pakistan Television (PTV) as a political analyst. Apart from the TV assignments, she has been writing for mainstream publications of Pakistan, and internationally on local and international affairs.
Jasmeen has also been appointed the editor-in-chief of the upcoming magazine, Paradigm. During her 15-year career as a journalist, she has traveled to various countries to cover state visits and other important events. As the head of News and Current Affairs Department at Business Plus TV, Jasmeen looks after the content of hourly news bulletin and current affairs programmes. She has been hosting a current affairs programme called “The Pulse with Jasmeen” which is broadcasted live from Monday to Friday at 7:10 pm. The programme keeps the viewers updated with a thorough analysis of developing news and current affairs in and outside the country. Apart from the panel of guests, Jasmeen takes live phone calls from various experts from around the world including leading think tanks from the US and the UK. The renowned personalities that she has interviewed include: President Asif Ali Zardari, Prime Minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto (her last televised interview before her assassination in December 2007), former president General (r) Pervez Musharraf, former prime minister of Malaysia Dr Mahathir Mohammad, PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, MQM chief Altaf Hussain, ANP President Asfandyar Wali and PTI chief Imran Khan. Jasmeen says she feels honored for receiving the Benazir Excellence Award as the memories of Benazir Bhutto’s last interview in Rawalpindi are always on her mind.
NA: How do you feel about receiving this award?
JAZZ: I feel extremely honored, happy and grateful to God who has given me this opportunity to be amongst the most honored women of Pakistan. But the journey does not end here, as after receiving this award I feel I have more responsibility and I have to work with even more dedication.
NA: What does this award mean to you?
JAZZ: This award truly means an appreciation of my long and hard journey, but the most significant thing is that this award is associated with Benazir Bhutto, who made all the women of Pakistan extremely proud for being the greatest stateswomen ever.
NA: What made you host a programme like The Pulse?
JAZZ: After spending four years at PTV, I felt that the time had come to move on to a different platform and create a show that could portray something I believe in and create an identity for myself.
NA: How many hours of live transmission have you
actually done?
JAZZ: I have done more than 2,000 hours of live transmission, the longest of which were 16 hours in a 32-hour period during the elections in 2002 while I was with PTV.
NA: Do you feel that shows like yours empower women in Pakistan?
JAZZ: Definitely, I feel that it empowers women, as I get thousands of mails and feedback from my fans who are mostly women. The courage to stand up and say what you want to and bring out the truth is something women always believe in. and this show obviously gives me a platform.
NA: Do you feel that women in Pakistan really have to struggle to come to the top?
JAZZ: They do have to struggle a lot, today’s world is extremely competitive and when I look around, most of the channels and newspapers and corporations are headed by men. But when I look at my own channel I feel it has the largest number of female anchors and the director of current affairs is also a woman. Even the Head of Marketing is a woman. I feel Business Plus has created equal opportunities for women to enter the complicated male-dominated world of media.
NA: Do you feel that your channel encourages you?
JAZZ: It definitely does, and I am extremely thankful to the management, my Chairman, my CEO, my COO for never interfering in my editorial content or ever influencing me to promote or project any certain point of view. I want to make it clear through this platform that whatever you see or hear in my shows, is truly both sides of the story, the truth and what I feel and believe in. They have always encouraged me to carry out my own show, with absolute freedom. Which is why I have a very good and long association with them. I have an excellent team for which I am extremely grateful.
NA: On a lighter note do you feel that sometimes you take risks with your guests?
JAZZ: Yes I do take a lot of risks, but telling the truth is all about taking risks. It all depends on how one says it, as long as history stands you corrected and you have not made up the story.
NA: Is there some sort of message you would like to give to your viewers?
JAZZ: I want to tell my viewers that they should give me honest feedback. Keep watching my shows and give me strength and courage when I need it. They have all the right to criticise and analyse my shows, because it’s only then that I can make my self and my show a better platform for the people of Pakistan.
NA: How do you manage to multitask being a woman with a successful career?
JAZZ: I think I am a lucky person as I have a supportive family and they are with me during all hard times.
NA: What are you plans for the future?
JAZZ: My immediate future plan includes the launch of my new political magazine “Paradigm”, the first issue is expected soon. Apart from that, I am planning a couple of shows in Iran and my plan is to make my show more powerful, more successful and above all as truth oriented as much as possible.
NA: Thank you so much for your time and best of luck for the future. Congratulations, you have made all of us very proud.
JAZZ: Thank you. *
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