Former Pakistan minister exits live debate amid grilling on terrorism, Army interference in Pakistan
Former Pakistan foreign minister Hina Rabbani Khar abruptly exited a live debate on UK journalist Piers Morgan’s show ‘Uncensored’, following intense questions about terrorism and the Army’s interference in Pakistan’s governance. The debate, which also featured prominent journalist Barkha Dutt, centred around the India-Pakistan tensions in the wake of ‘Operation Sindoor’.
Throughout the discussion, Khar dodged the questions on terrorist groups operating within Pakistan. When Dutt pressed her to clarify whether groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are terror organisations, Khar avoided a direct response, saying. “This is the narrative you have been putting up for the last 20 years. I will not stop myself to answer this.”
Morgan also criticised Khar for engaging in “whataboutery” instead of providing direct answers. When asked whether terror groups operate freely in Paksitan, Khar denied the allegation, saying, “Pakistan is the country which is trying to correct the wrongs.”
As the debate intensified, Khar’s screen on the live-streaming feed turned black, just as Dutt strongly criticised Pakistan’s internal political system and its links to terrorism.
“Modi is an elected Prime Minister of India in his third term unlike Prime Ministers of Pakistan who are appointed by the Army, jailed or exiled,” said Dutt, in a video shared on X.
She accused Pakistan of being in turmoil due to the Army’s influence, citing jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan and Army-backed Shehbaz Sharif’s appointment.
Dutt also referred to a statement by Pakistan’s defence minister Khwaja Asif, in which he allegedly admitted that Pakistan had used terrorism as a tool.
“Pakistan is doing the dirty work for other countries by using terrorism,” she added.
Power cuts are so frequent in pakistan that they happen when you are losing a debate.
Catch the disappearing act of @HinaRKhar on @piersmorgan #piersmorgan @BDUTT @BeerBicepsGuy pic.twitter.com/VqmpuoDjgb
— satire_sarathy (@SarathySatire) May 13, 2025
Khar, who served as Pakistan’s foreign minister in July 2011 and was the first woman to hold the position, received widespread criticism online following the walkout. Journalist Vir Sanghvi called her a “fool” in a post on X.
Gosh! This Hina Rabbani Khar really is a fool! https://t.co/UK7TWlvLwf
— vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) May 13, 2025
The exchange comes amid heightened tensions between India and Pakistan following the Pahalgam terror attack. In response, India launched ‘Operation Sindoor’, targeting terror camps in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), reportedly killing around 100 terrorists. Pakistan retaliated with attacks on Indian civilians and military infrastructure, prompting further strikes from India. The tensions ended after a ceasefire agreement on May 10.
