Nida Yasir Apologises Over Foodpanda Rider Controversy

TV host Nida Yasir has apologized over her use of words after she came under intense pressure due to her controversial comments about Foodpanda riders on her morning show Good Morning Pakistan.

In a recent episode, Yasir gave a personal experience, saying that some riders would fake being out of change so as to pocket more money. She also confessed that she had deliberately delayed deliveries as a way of teaching them a lesson, remarks that resulted in a lot of negative publicity on social media.

In her apology, Yasir explained: “A few days ago in my programme, I explained my personal experience, which was not pleasant. It was, however, my words I used that made it go wrong. Since my show is live, we are not always mindful of how we are presenting.

She emphasized that she did not intend to generalize her remarks to all riders. “There are so many riders; in fact, the majority of the riders are working very hard to make ends meet. I am not sitting here to hurt anybody,” she said. “However many rider were hurt, I want to apologise to them. I salute the hardworking riders. I didn’t mean to make light of their struggles.”

Although she has apologized, the scandal is not simply in the words she chose, but the act that she recounted, taking advantage of the vulnerability of underpaid gig workers to intentionally make them miss their next deliveries. The working environment of Foodpanda riders is hazardous, as there are broken roads, traffic, and physical safety hazards. Additionally, the app is created in such a way that it avoids problems with change, reminding customers to keep cash available and providing the opportunity to pay online.