Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan recently welcomed televangelist and former member of Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Amir Liaquat into his party’s folds.
Even though, Imran Khan forgave Amir Liaquat’s tirade against the PTI, proclaiming that people can change themselves for the better and that their past shouldn’t be brought up, diehard followers of the Kaptaan were not so easily moved and with good reason too.
It is also not just the PTI supporters who feel Amir Liaquat’s presence will not bode well for their party . Majority of Pakistanis, having witnessed the antics of the “famed scholar” have a not too loving relationship with the televangelist.
1. Amir Liaquat was an active part of MQM and a strong critic of PTI
Amir Liaquat was a strong advocate of both Altaf Hussain and MQM before deciding to leave the party after infamously spending time under arrest during the crackdown against MQM workers.
Not only was he a part of the rival political party but held back nothing in his criticism of Imran Khan and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). The criticism went so overboard at times that “Kaptaan k tigers” are now finding it hard to forgive and forget, unlike their leader.
2. He “loves” Ghalib film
Amir Liaquat is known to be an eloquent orator. On camera. However, once you switch off the camera a new side of the famed “scholar” emerges which is not above making jokes about his guest’s appearance, making sleazy comments and of course referring to the iconic film “Ghalib”.
3. He loves “feeding” people
“Aam khaye ga? Aam?” has now reached a cult status all thanks to a unique competition launched by the anchor on his Ramzan transmission show, to see how many mangoes could a contestant eat within a stipulated time period.
Not satisfied with the pace of the competition, Amir took things into his own hands and force-fed a contestant, which led to a major backlash after the show was aired.
4. He is not above mocking suicide victims
Amir Liaquat during another one of his Ramzan transmission shows mocked a girl who had committed suicide. Enacting what the victim must have been going through, Amir Liaquat thought it appropriate to stick his tongue out and mock what a rope around the neck looked like.
5. His efforts to instil patriotism in fellow Pakistanis was a “little” uncomfortable
It appears as if Ramzan is the month when Amir Liaquat’s creative genius overflows and appears on the TV wavelengths all over the country. In a tribute to the Pakistan Army, he decided to play the part of an army officer who is ready to sacrifice in the name of his country. The intention, though noble, was met with ridicule by the public, especially on social media and Amir Liaquat’s bloodstained face was one of the most used memes that year.
6. He even managed to make things awkward with the great Meera jee
Meera jee is the queen of Lollywood, no two opinions about it, but appearing on Amir Liaquat’s show it appeared Meera’s stardom took a back seat and Amir Liaquat and his dose of inappropriate remarks took the centre stage as Meera’s marriage seemed to be the only thing on his mind.
7. Taher Shah was also not spared the horrors of Amir Liaquat’s antics
True, Pakistanis have had their share in trolling the infamous eye-to-eye singer Taher Shah, however, when Amir Liaquat harassed the “Angel” crooner on his show the public was up in arms. Amir Liaquat played with Taher Shah’s hair, tried wrapping a snake around him and was a source of obvious discomfort to the singer.
Even though he later apologized, partly due to a social media meltdown, Pakistanis still hold his actions as a testament to Amir Liaquat’s crass behaviour.
8. His efforts as a full-time news anchor infuriated many
Even when Amir Liaquat turned his hand to serious “reporting” and political analysis, his show and the long tirades against different individuals left many infuriated. Incidentally, PTI and Imran Khan were also his usual targets during his show’s winding monologues.
9. Self-praise is synonymous with Amir Liaquat
One of the well-known traits of Amir Liaquat is his unabashed self-praise. Numerous videos in which the televangelist appears to be smitten by his own performances have made for themselves a special place in the harsh, unforgiving world of social media.
10. Many people find his “U-turns” quite hard to digest
Amir Liaquat is well versed in the technique of making U-turns and going back on what he previously stated. Before joining Imran Khan and PTI, Amir Liaquat also patched up with Mir Shakeelur Rehman, someone who was repeatedly criticised by Amir Liaquat and appeared to be a persona non grata for the former talk show host.
