- Hamid Mir recounts 1995 interview with Nelson Mandela in Auckland.
- Mandela initially unaware of Pakistan's location, asked 'Where is Pakistan?'.
- Mandela warned Pakistan about heading towards religious extremism.
Senior Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir has recalled an interesting incident from his 1995 interview with Nelson Mandela in Auckland, New Zealand. Mir stated that the former South African President was initially unfamiliar with Pakistan and had asked for its geographical location. It was only after Mir explained that the country was situated right next to India that Mandela instantly understood.
When Mandela Asked 'Where Is Pakistan?'
In an interview with Pakistani television actor Waseem Abbas, Mir recounted that when he went to interview Mandela, he was asked where he was from. When Mir replied that he was from Pakistan, Mandela did not seem to recognise the name and asked, 'Where is Pakistan?' Mir then explained that Pakistan is located next to India, Iran, and Afghanistan. This instantly drew a reaction from Mandela, who responded, "Oh, you are India’s neighbour."
⚡Pakistan’s senior journalist Hamid Mir says that when he went to interview Nelson Mandela, Mandela apparently had no idea what Pakistan was or even where it was. 🤣
— Warfront (@Warfront_2630) September 24, 2026
Mir had to explain that Pakistan is the country stuck next to India, after which Mandela apparently went, "Oh,… https://t.co/Iz3uLjufWA
Mir also recalled that the interview had been arranged by the Pakistani president at the time. However, according to Mir’s account, Mandela apparently did not know that the person who had arranged the meeting was the President of Pakistan. He added that his scheduled interview with Mandela was supposed to be brief.
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Mandela Wanted To Know About Pakistan
However, Mandela extended the conversation because he wanted to learn more about Pakistan and asked Mir additional questions. Mir described the encounter as a memorable experience, particularly because Mandela used the extra time to ask questions about Pakistan directly. According to Mir, Mandela also warned him that Pakistan was heading toward religious extremism.
The video has gone viral on social media with some posts presenting the story in a more dramatic or humorous way, particularly the part about Mandela asking where Pakistan was. Sharing the video, a user wrote, “Pakistan really looks like a country that was created just to become the punchline of its own stories.”
Notably, Mir was one of the first Pakistani journalists to interview Mandela. In 2015, the Washington Post had reported Mir's experience of meeting Mandela, where he said, "It became very difficult for me to control my emotions because I wanted to hug him."
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