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Stand-up comedian and TV host Tabish Hashmi has said that he was never a member of the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM). He clarified that he had once been trapped and threatened by its workers but never joined the party.

He spoke about this during a recent appearance on Geo Podcast. In the conversation, Hashmi discussed his professional journey, the making of his television shows, and a traumatic incident from his past.

Tabish Hashmi explained how his program Hansna Mana Hai is planned weeks in advance. Scripts are prepared, questions are written, and detailed research is carried out for every guest. He said his team has four members, including one researcher who calls guests weeks before the recording to gather personal details. Those details are then used to design questions for the show.

Talking about money, Hashmi compared his past with his present. He said that when he started his YouTube show To Be Honest, he earned just Rs.100. Today, he earns around Rs.1 million for his TV programs, though he did not disclose the exact amount.

The comedian also spoke about rumors linking him with MQM. He rejected them clearly. “I was never an MQM member,” he said. “But I was once surrounded by their workers.”

Hashmi recalled a frightening incident from April 2008. He said MQM workers abducted him during his university’s annual function. Before the event, he was warned not to attend. Later, he was told he could attend but not go on stage. Still, when his name was called for an award, he walked up. That was when he was picked up.

He was kept in a small car for several hours. Guns were pressed against his head and back. He was threatened, told he would be killed, and forced to sit in a cramped space. “They kept talking about killing me and throwing me away,” he said. “But by God’s grace, they spared my life.”

Hashmi added that the same group of workers had earlier abducted his father as well. That incident left him deeply angry. For a long time, he thought about buying a weapon and taking revenge.

But his thinking changed with time. He said he has moved far ahead in life. “If I go back and take revenge now, I will have to return to their level,” he said. “That is why I forgave them.”

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