Pakistan lawmaker attacks rights activist during talk show

Islamabad: police lodged a case against a religious lawmaker on Tuesday for verbally abusing and trying to physically attack a female human rightsPakistan  activist during a heated talk show debate, officials said.

The argument between the politician and the activist broke out Friday night during a discussion about "honour killings", amid a series of recent attacks against women in the South Asian nation.
The activist tweeted that her comments had made the cleric angry, and that he tried to attack her during the break but was stopped by a fellow panelist on the show.

Police said they registered the case against the lawmaker Tuesday having obtained video clips from the broadcaster after the activist filed a complaint Friday and claimed the whole incident was recorded.

"A case has been registered against Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam Fazl (JUI-F) Hafiz Hamdullah in Margallah police station for verbally abusing and attempting to physically attack human rights activist Marvi Sirmed during a television talk show," a local police official told AFP.

Another senior police official confirmed that a case had been lodged.
The incident caused a stir on social media and made headlines in the local papers as many viewers spoke out in defence of the activist.

Talk shows are popular in Pakistan, aired during prime time, and there is sharp competition for ratings.