Yalda Hakim: From War Refugee To Journo Who Put Pakistan Defence Minister On The Spot

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Last Updated:May 15, 2025, 19:56 IST

Yalda Hakim settled successful Australia aft fleeing the Soviet-Afghan war. She was six months aged erstwhile she near Afghanistan, with her parents connected horseback.

Yalda Hakim attends the 2022 Embrace Ambition Summit, hosted by the Tory Burch Foundation astatine Jazz astatine Lincoln Center successful New York City. (IMAGE: AFP)

Renowned broadcaster Yalda Hakim made headlines aft she posed uncomfortable questions astir Pakistan’s authorities backing of coercion to the nation’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif pursuing the heinous Pahalgam attack.

The Australian journalist, primitively from Afghanistan, became an instant favourite arsenic her questions to Asif reflected concerns that countries successful southbound and southeast Asia, astir prominently India, person raised for respective decades.

Asif was cornered and admitted that Pakistan for years harboured terrorists astatine the behest of the US and the West. “We did their soiled work," Asif said, shocking Yalda Hakim herself.

Her enactment of making Asif admit Pakistan’s panic ties accrued the fame of the renowned broadcaster adjacent more. The writer became the story.

Clips from the interrogation went viral, peculiarly her persistent questioning astir India’s allegations and Pakistan’s stance connected groups similar Lashkar-e-Taiba and she earned praise for her tenacity and composure.

Hakim began her vocation with SBS Australia earlier joining the BBC successful 2013, wherever she became a salient look of BBC World News. She rapidly earned a estimation for sharp, uncompromising reporting and gained entree to struggle zones successful Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Fluent successful Dari, she has often utilized her linguistic skills to span gaps during tract reporting successful West Asia and South Asia.

Her archetypal story, “Yalda’s Kabul," was released by the Australian broadcaster successful 2008.

Born successful Afghanistan successful 1983, Hakim and her household fled Soviet-occupied Kabul erstwhile she was conscionable six months old, yet settling successful Australia aft a year-long travel done Pakistan. Her inheritance arsenic a warfare exile has profoundly informed her journalistic perspective.

Beyond her journalism career, Hakim is the laminitis of the Yalda Hakim Foundation, established successful 2018 to enactment the acquisition of exceptionally talented young women from Afghanistan done scholarships, internships and mentoring.

In July 2023, she transitioned to Sky News, wherever she presently hosts the overseas affairs programme “The World with Yalda Hakim".

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