BBC journalist Yalda Hakim receives call from Taliban while presenting live on air

BBC news anchor and correspondent Yalda Hakim received a call from Taliban spokesperson Suhail Shaheen while presenting live on air and seamlessly transitioned the report into an in-depth interview.

Hakim was presenting BBC News when Shaheen called what appeared to be her mobile phone. Within seconds, she had put Shaheen on speaker-phone to ensure viewers could hear him, before requesting he introduce himself.

“Is that fine?” she asked, maintaining eye-contact with the camera. “Can our viewers hear that?” From there, Hakim launched into a 30-minute interview as she quizzed the spokesman on the Taliban’s apparent plans for Afghanistan.

It came as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country after Taliban forces entered the capital, following a rapid advance across the country that prompted the dramatic fall of the western-backed government.

“There is a lot of chaos and confusion in Kabul at the moment,” Hakim began. “Can you just help us understand what the Taliban plan to do at present, and next?”

“We assure the people in Afghanistan, particularly in the city of Kabul, that their properties, their lives are safe,” Shaheen said in reply. ”There will be no revenge on anyone.”

“We are the servants of the people and of this country,” Shaheen continued. “Our leadership has instructed our forces to remain at the gate of the Kabul, not to enter the city. We are awaiting a peaceful transfer of power.”

The journalist continued asking a series of hard-hitting questions, such as whether the militants will impose strict interpretations of Sharia law.

Viewers and colleagues praised how well Hakim handled the situation — all while live on air. They also praised the journalist for her probing questions:

Visit BBC to watch and hear the interview in full.