People
Pakistan’s Prime Minister on CNN’s ‘Talk Asia’
Airtimes: Indian Standard Times
Saturday, August 20 at 20:00hrs, 22:30hrs
Sunday, August 21 at 20:30hrs (replay)
This week on Talk Asia, Lorraine Hahn speaks with Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz about his country’s role in the war on terror.
“First of all let me say that Pakistan is against terrorism anywhere in the world, and we abhor terrorism in every form and shape. As regards the incidents in London and Egypt, let me say that the 7/7 incidents were very unfortunate, were condemned by us, and frankly had nothing to do with Pakistan. The four people involved in that incident: three were of Asian origin and one was from Jamaica,” the Prime Minister said.
“…I have lived overseas for decades, for at least 20 years, and I used to go back several times a year – that doesn’t mean that I would go back and be brainwashed by somebody. And just walking through a seminary or visiting a seminary doesn’t convert you. Our view is that these people are a product of the local society and local culture, and it’s not for us to tell the British Government how to handle them,” he said.
The Prime Minister also believes that the best way to fight home-grown terrorism is through education and addressing social issues.
“Why do people behave in a certain way? Our view is that this stems from a feeling of neglect, deprivation, and a feeling that people don’t care about the issues of these people which they face. So we need to tackle some of the basic issues so that people feel that they have a voice. And if they feel less deprived they won’t be behaving in such an extreme way.”
AIRTIMES ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE
People
Devika Prabhu joins Sony Pictures Networks India as business head – Hindi movies
Former Disney Star executive returns to SPNI to steer the network’s Hindi movie business
MUMBAI: Devika Prabhu is heading back to familiar turf. The veteran media executive has joined Sony Pictures Networks India (SPNI) as business head – Hindi movies, marking a return to the broadcaster where she began her early leadership journey.
Prabhu announced the move on LinkedIn, calling it both a new beginning and a homecoming. Earlier in her career, she spent several years at SPNI—then Multi Screen Media—working on strategic planning for Sony Entertainment Television.
The appointment brings to SPNI a media strategist with more than 25 years of experience across content, programming, brand strategy and platform growth. Most recently, Prabhu served at Disney Star as vice-president and business head – kids, youth and infotainment TV, where she led the Disney Kids and National Geographic portfolios following the Disney–Fox merger.
During her tenure, she oversaw a Rs 400-crore P&L while pushing digital expansion, partnerships and operational efficiencies. Earlier roles at Disney Star included leadership across programming, acquisitions, marketing and product strategy for multiple networks, including the UTV movie channels and youth brands.
Prabhu’s career has also spanned building cross-platform intellectual property, developing kids and family content ecosystems, and forging international format partnerships. She was closely involved in bringing global formats and franchises to Indian audiences and is widely credited with helping shape India’s anime fandom into a mainstream youth phenomenon.
At SPNI, she will now lead the Hindi movies business at a time when film channels are rethinking their role in a fragmented viewing landscape. With audiences discovering cinema across television, streaming and digital platforms, the challenge is not just programming films but reimagining how they reach viewers.
Prabhu believes movies still hold a unique cultural power, sparking conversations and creating shared moments long after the credits roll.
Now back where part of her journey began, she is set to write the next act, this time from the business seat of Hindi movie television. Lights, camera, strategy.
