Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq

Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq (Urdu: محمد ضياء الحق‎; 12 August 1924 – 17 August 1988), was a Pakistani general who served as the 6th President of Pakistan from 1978 until his death in 1988, after declaring martial law in 1977. He was Pakistan's longest-serving head of state.

Educated at Delhi University, Zia saw action in World War II as a British Indian Army officer, before opting for Pakistan in 1947 and fighting in the war against India in 1965. In 1970, he led the Pakistani training mission in Jordan, proving instrumental to putting down the Black September insurgency against King Hussein. In recognition, Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto appointed Zia Chief of Army Staff in 1976. Following civil disorder, Zia deposed Bhutto in a military coup and declared martial law on 5 July 1977. Bhutto was controversially tried and executed by the Supreme Court less than two years later, for authorising the murder of a political opponent.

Hassan Nisar

Hassan Nisar (Urdu: حسن نثار ‎) is a Pakistani journalist, columnist and an analyst. He is known for his talk show Choraha (Urdu for Crossroads) in Geo TV, Pakistan.

Career

Nisar started his career as a journalist from Dhanak Magazine in the 1970s. Later he became the Editor of Dhanak. He composed poetry, movie songs and edited a magazine Monthly Zanjeer in 1980, he appeared on TV talk shows, including Meray Mutabiq and Choraha on Geo News. His presentations are in Urdu. His commentaries in print and electronic media focus on contemporary Pakistan and the political history of Islam. He left Jang Group and GEO TV Network in August 2012 due to some differences with management related to his compensation and moved to Dunya News, he resumed his signature program with different title, Meri Dunya. However, after a short stint at DUNYA News (about 8 months), he re-joined Jang Group and GEO TV Network in late April 2013 after his issues were resolved.

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Pakistan Army

Pakistan Army (Urdu: پاک فوج‎ Pak Fauj (IPA: pɑk fɒ~ɔd͡ʒ); Reporting name: PA) is the land-based service branch of the Pakistan Armed Forces. It came into existence after the independence of Pakistan in 1947. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) it had an active force of approximately 550,000 active personnel and 500,000 reserve personnel as of 2015. The Constitution of Pakistan contains a provision for conscription for times of possible need, but it has never been imposed.

Since its establishment in 1947, the Army (along with its inter–services: the Navy and the Air Force) has been involved in four wars with neighbouring India and several border skirmishes with Afghanistan. Since 1947, it has also maintained a strong presence along with its inter-services in the Arab states during the past Arab-Israeli Wars, and aided the coalition in the first Gulf War. Recently, major joint-operations undertaken by the Army include Operation Zarb-e-Azb Operation Toar-e-Tander (Black Thunderstorm) and Operation Rah-e-Nijat (Path to Salvation).

Shaikh Rasheed Ahmad

Sheikh Rashid Ahmed (Urdu: شيخ رشيداحمد‎, b. 6 November 1950), is a Pakistani public figure, a veteran politician, television personality and a writer of Kashmiri origin. Starting politics in 70's it wasn't till 1985 when he became a national politician, since then he has been elected to the national assembly 7 times (1985, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1997, 2002, 2013). During his political career spanning over 2 decades, He has served as federal minister for labour and manpower, federal minister for information and broadcasting; federal minister for industries, federal minister for sports & culture; federal minister for tourism and federal minister for railways.

Initially a right-hand man of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Rashid after twice serving as federal minister in Sharif cabinet resigned from the Sharif-led Pakistan Muslim League and joined the newly formed military backed Pakistan Muslim League (Q) after the 2002 elections and managed two ministerial portfolios during its 5-year rule (2002–2007). He lost his first election in 2008 to Javed Hashmi and later by-election to Malik Shakeel Awan. He found his own party named Awami Muslim League Pakistan, after the 2008 election defeat, and managed to win his traditional seat from Rawalpindi in 2013 while allied with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

Shahid Masood

Shahid Masood Khan (Urdu: شاہد مسعود خان‎), widely known as Dr. Shahid Masood is a Pakistani mental doctor political writer, television host, journalist, and political analyst.

A psychiatrist, his career in broadcast journalism began after the terror attacks in the United States in 2001. During this time, he conducted various political interview of many of country's influential statesman and politicians. Prior to this, he also served senior executive director of news formats of GEO News and also for the ARY News.He was appointed managing director of Pakistan Television Network (PTV) by Prime Minister Yousaf Gilani in 2008; though he resigned from this position.

As of current, he regularly writes in Newsweek Middle East and hosts a show on ARY NEWS. He is known for his tough rhetoric against the US-led policies on the War on Terror.

Early life and career

Khan was raised in Taif and Riyadh throughout his early life. His father was a civil engineer who worked in a Saudi Petroleum International, and was a vital member of Pakistani community in Saudi Arabia. Though, his family relocated to Pakistan after his father joined the Pakistan State Oil (PSO) in teenage years.