Who is Yalda Hakim? Afghanistan-born Sky News journalist who grilled several Pakistani ministers

TOI World Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / Updated: May 08, 2025, 14:37 IST

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Yalda Hakim, the Afghanistan-born Sky News anchor, has gained recognition for her assertive interviews with Pakistani officials. In a recent exchange, she challenged Pakistan's information minister on the denial of harboring terrorist groups, citing contradictory statements from the country's own leaders, including the defense minister's admission of supporting terrorist proxies for decades.

Who is Yalda Hakim? Afghanistan-born Sky News journalist who grilled several Pakistani ministers

Afghanistan-born broadcaster Yalda Hakim has drawn widespread attention for her sharp, unflinching interviews with senior Pakistani officials, leaving more than one minister visibly unsettled. In her latest exchange on Sky News, Hakim confronted Pakistan’s information minister Attaullah Tarar over the country’s denial of harbouring terrorist groups. When Tarar insisted “there are no terrorist camps in Pakistan,” Hakim reminded him that his own defence minister had recently said the opposite, in an earlier interview with her.

“Can I just point out to you on my program, just a week ago your Defence Minister Khawaja Asif admitted that Pakistan has for decades had a policy of funding, backing and using terrorist groups as proxies,” Hakim said, citing remarks Asif made on her show.

Operation Sindoor

In that earlier interview, Asif had conceded: “We have been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades… That was a mistake and we suffered for that.”

"In fact, in 2018, President Donald Trump cut military aid to Pakistan because he accused Pakistan of playing a double game. So when you say there are no terrorist camps in Pakistan, that is going against what General Paris Musharraf has said, what Benazir Bhutto has said, what your Defense Minister said just a week ago," Hakim told Tarar.

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Hakim laid out a series of contradictions from Pakistan’s top leadership, referencing former president Musharraf, Benazir Bhutto, and a striking admission by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif, who said Pakistan had “been doing this dirty work for the United States for about three decades.”Who is Yalda Hakim?

Afghanistan-born journalist: Born in Kabul, Hakim fled Afghanistan with her family and resettled in Australia as a refugee.
Sky News anchor: She currently presents The World with Yalda Hakim on Sky News at 9pm weekdays.
Frontline reporter: She has reported live from global hotspots including Israel-Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Darfur.
High-profile interviewer: Hakim has interviewed world leaders like President Zelenskyy, Antony Blinken, Bill Clinton, Justin Trudeau, Sheikh Hasina, Joko Widodo, and Ashraf Ghani.
Former BBC presenter: Prior to joining Sky in 2023, she was the chief presenter on the BBC News Channel and hosted Impact with Yalda Hakim on BBC World News.
Documentary filmmaker: Her hard-hitting investigative journalism spans topics from Islamic State in Iraq to people trafficking in Yemen and election interference in the US.
Founder of Yalda Hakim Foundation: She established the foundation to support education for Afghan girls through scholarships.

About the Author

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