Yalda Hakim: From War Refugee To Journo Who Put Pakistan Defence Minister On The Spot
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Yalda Hakim settled in Australia after fleeing the Soviet-Afghan war. She was six months old when she left Afghanistan, with her parents on horseback.
Renowned broadcaster Yalda Hakim made headlines after she posed uncomfortable questions about Pakistan's state backing of terrorism to the nation's Defence Minister Khawaja Asif following the heinous Pahalgam attack.
The Australian journalist, originally from Afghanistan, became an instant favourite as her questions to Asif reflected concerns that countries in south and southeast Asia, most prominently India, have raised for several decades.
Asif was cornered and admitted that Pakistan for years harboured terrorists at the behest of the US and the West. 'We did their dirty work," Asif said, shocking Yalda Hakim herself.
Her act of making Asif admit Pakistan's terror ties increased the fame of the renowned broadcaster even more. The journalist became the story.
Clips from the interview went viral, particularly her persistent questioning around India's allegations and Pakistan's stance on groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and she earned praise for her tenacity and composure.
Hakim began her career with SBS Australia before joining the BBC in 2013, where she became a prominent face of BBC World News. She quickly earned a reputation for sharp, uncompromising reporting and gained access to conflict zones in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Libya. Fluent in Dari, she has often used her linguistic skills to bridge gaps during field reporting in West Asia and South Asia.
Her first story, 'Yalda's Kabul," was released by the Australian broadcaster in 2008.
Born in Afghanistan in 1983, Hakim and her family fled Soviet-occupied Kabul when she was just six months old, eventually settling in Australia after a year-long journey through Pakistan. Her background as a war refugee has deeply informed her journalistic perspective.
Beyond her journalism career, Hakim is the founder of the Yalda Hakim Foundation, established in 2018 to support the education of exceptionally talented young women from Afghanistan through scholarships, internships and mentoring.
In July 2023, she transitioned to Sky News, where she currently hosts the foreign affairs program 'The World with Yalda Hakim".
First Published:
May 15, 2025, 19:56 IST
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