Member of the Provincial Assembly of the Punjab (MPA) Hina Pervaiz Butt has hit out at controversial playwright Khalil ur Rehman Qamar after his remarks about acid attacks during a private news channel’s programme went viral, triggering a heated debate online.
Butt, who was a guest on the show, said that she was discussing women’s rights when Qamar interrupted with a comment she found deeply troubling. “You’re talking as if we men go out with bottles of acid in our pockets,” he remarked , a statement that drew immediate pushback from Butt.
In a post on X, Butt wrote: “Men with the mindset of Khalil ur Rehman Qamar are a cancer on this society. If you don’t understand the sensitivity of the issue, you could at least keep your mouth shut. A woman who survives an acid attack becomes a living corpse, but men like that couldn’t care less in their eyes, the woman is still the one at fault”.
Speaking in a video statement, Butt also referenced the recent case of Dr Mahnoor and a separate incident in which five men threw acid on a woman’s face from a motorcycle.
“I am not saying that Khalil ur Rehman is that kind of man, but I am saying that such men do exist in Pakistan,” she said. “And if you have no idea about ground realities, it is better that you do not offer your advice or opinion on the matter”.
The exchange set off a split reaction online. Many sided with Butt, arguing that Qamar’s remarks reflected a mindset that shields perpetrators.
“I often keep pointing out such people who justify such crimes. They are actually even more dangerous than those who commit them. They should be locked up forever. And this beast named Khalil Qamar is one of them,” one user wrote.
Another remarked that Qamar appeared to have had bitter experiences with the women in his own household a dig at what many saw as deep-rooted personal bias.
Others called for consequences. “This is your government. Arrest such people and set an example for society. Or at the very least, get a ban imposed on them for writing dramas,” one comment demanded.
Some raised a broader question about systemic failure. “Why do acid-throwing incidents happen in Pakistan? Why do ordinary people have access to a dangerous substance like acid? This matter should be given serious thought, and laws should be enacted regarding it,” a user posted.
But not everyone was on Butt’s side. Several users felt she had painted all men with the same brush.
“From your tweets and your conversation, it seems like you’re putting all men in the same category and comparing the man who did a disgusting act to all men. This is extremely wrong,” one user wrote.
Another echoed the same sentiment. “Just as there are sensitive women, there are some sensitive men too. An acid-throwing man doesn’t represent all men in Pakistan or the world. Just as one wrong woman doesn’t represent all women”.
One user went further, defending Qamar outright. “Khalil ur Rehman Qamar had said it right. If a man threw acid on Mahnoor, then the one who stopped the acid was also a man, you cannot blame every man.”
Others took a more measured view of Qamar himself, with one writing that he was not the only one who believed disrespecting women made him a philosopher and that such people were best ignored so that their inner rot would die on its own.
