Islamabad: An influential lawmaker of Pakistan's ruling coalition has been booked for allegedly verbally abusing and trying to physically attack a woman rights activist during a live TV debate on honour killing.
The ugly incident happened during a private TV talk show last week when Hafiz Hamdullah of Jamiat Ulema-e-Isla Fazal (JUI-F) became furious at Marvi Sarmad for speaking against honour killing.
According to the footage widely circulated on social media, the bearded lawmaker used foul language against the activist and tried to attack her. Marvi lodged a complaint with the Margalla police station and the case was registered on Tuesday, a police official said.
The lawmaker's JUI-F party is an ally of the government of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. At least 1,100 women were killed in the name of honour in Pakistan last year by their relatives on the pretext of defending what is seen as family honour.
Police on Tuesday arrested the brother of a Pakistani woman for alleging burning her to death in an honour killing last week. An Islamic religious body in Pakistan yesterday declared that killing of women in the name of honour is un-Islamic, days after 40 influential clerics issued a fatwa against honour-killing.
