KARACHI — Popular Pakistani TV anchorperson and analyst Dr Moeed Pirzada has been arrested by authorities in Abu Dhabi, DawnNews reported on Friday.
Pirzada’s father is critically ill and the television personality had gone to the UAE to spend time with him, reported DawnNews.
Pirzada had also tweeted about his ailing father earlier, saying he was going abroad to spend time with his father, who he said was “critically ill.”
According to unconfirmed reports, Pirzada has been charged with forging documents.
Meanwhile, Foreign Office confirmed the arrest of Moeed Pirzada by UAE authorities in Abu Dhabi.
“Moeed was arrested on August 4, he did speak to Pakistani Embassy before his arrest,” FO spokesman Qazi Khalilullah told Dawn.com
The spokesman, however, declined to give details about the nature of charges levelled against Pirzada by UAE authorities.
He said the embassy is in touch with UAE government and Moeed as well, “we are extending every possible cooperation to him”.
Moeed Pirzada is currently working as a lead anchor with Waqt News and is a columnist for The Nation. His Facebook page introduces him as a known media and political commentator who has worked with GEO, ARY, Dunya News and PTV in different roles.–c. Dawn