I Stand with Marvi Sirmed

Outspoken Pakistani columnist and human rights defender Marvi Sirmed on Friday said that she was verbally abused and threatened by JUI-F’s Senator Hafiz Hamdullah during a television program.

The disturbing incident took place at Nadia Mirza Show, a current affairs programme, on News One. Sirmed, who is known for her bold and courageous stance against religious extremism and terrorism, took to Twitter to narrate the deplorable incident.

“I’ve just undergone a very traumatic experience at a News One program (Nadia Mirza Show) when Hafiz Hamdullah of JUIF got angry on a comment by Barrister Masroor,” she wrote.

“On my turn, I started by saying “I agree with Masroor sahib to the extent that” and here Hamdullah and went on and on with his arrogance and rudeness. I responded in almost the same coin. And that’s when he started abusing me with worst possible expletives. Called me a whore and said “tumhaari shalwaar utaar dooN ga aur tumhaari maaN ki bhi”. “I returned this to his own family women. And then he tried to beat me. All of this was recorded in camera."

“Fayaz ul Hassan Chauhan (PTI leader) held him so his punches don’t reach me. He had to be taken away by the News One security. And this religious merchant Hafiz Hamdullah was fasting while he did all this,” she concluded.

The Balochistan Senator in the past had threatened Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf Secretary-General Arif Alvi in a live television talk show, saying that he would chop off his (Alvi) tongue if he or his party head Imran Khan said anything insulting about Maulana Fazalur Rehman.

This comes a couple of days after PML-N MNA and Defence Minister Khawaja Asif dubbed PTI MNA Dr Shireen Mazara a tractor trolley. His remarks drew sharp condemnations from women MPs and rights activists, including Marvi Sirmed.
In a tweet, she called for punishment for Khawaja Asif, saying that expunging the remarks was not a punishment at all.

Many on Twitter expressed support and solidarity with Marvi Sirmed and denounced the JUI-F leader for foul language, verbal abuse and blatant threats.