PTI leaders' use of cuss words live on TV triggers scathing backlash on Twitter

As the opposition’s no-confidence motion is taking its toll on Prime Minister Imran Khan-led government, the ruling PTI leaders have toughened their tone not only against their opponents but also against dissenting lawmakers who have revolted against their own party.

PTI MNA Aliya Hamza, while speaking in a private broadcaster’s talk show, said that even “prostitutes” were better than politicians after it emerged that a group of ruling party lawmakers had sought refuge in PPP-led provincial government’s Sindh House in Islamabad.

In an interview to a private TV channel, PTI’s estranged member Raja Riaz had disclosed that around 24 disgruntled MNAs of the ruling party were staying at the Sindh House, fearing government action against them like the one they witnessed when the Islamabad police raided the Parliament Lodges a week ago.

“I don’t want to use this word but prostitutes are better than them [politicians]... Sindh House has been turned into a ‘brothel house’ and ‘pimps’ are sitting there involved in buying and selling [of lawmakers],” said Aliya while seeking an apology for using foul language on national TV.

As a politician, the woman lawmaker said, she could not control her ‘emotions’ as the opposition parties had brought “a lot of filth and dirt into politics”.

In a similar show of outburst, Special Assistant to Prime Minister (SAPM) on Political Communication Shahbaz Gill called estranged lawmaker Ramesh Kumar a “pimp” live on national television.

Both the leaders of ruling PTI were invited to a talk show of a local news channel, where Gill when asked to comment on Kumar’s reservations regarding PM Imran lost his cool. “You are a ‘political pimp’… you came to Punjab to sell counterfeit cancer medicine… didn’t you pimp,” said Gill while accusing Kumar of trying to seek personal favours from the government.

MNA Kumar also sent a legal notice to Gill for using inappropriate language and making “baseless allegations” against him. The dissident lawmaker also asked Gill to retract his allegations and apologise within 15 days for using abusive remarks against him.

The lawmaker said in the notice that he was also being threatened by the PTI supporters and will file defamation suit against the PM’s aide if he did not tender apology in the given time period.

Gill also shared a video on his official Twitter handle claiming that “a booze-up underway in Sindh House”.

Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry also issued a sharp rebuke to the dissident group of lawmakers, saying that “shameless [MNAs]” should first step down and contest election independently if they want to vote on no-trust motion against the premier “according to their conscience”.

“Is this your father’s vote? This is Imran Khan’s vote… they became [lawmakers] due to Imran Khan,” he added.

To make the already polarised political situation worse, angry activists of ruling PTI stormed the Sindh House in Islamabad by smashing its gate and scaling down the walls of the building earlier today.

TV footage shows dozens of the ruling party activists including two lawmakers barging into the Sindh House and chanting slogans against the group of dissident lawmakers.

Information Minister Fawad blamed the opposition for the incident, saying the angry party workers were directed to vacate the premises but added that “you [opposition] will have to face public hatred if Sindh House was made ‘Changa Manga’”.

Social media users from all walks of life condemned the use of foul language by the PTI leaders while calling it a “new low” in the country’s politics.

The Human Right Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) also issued a statement expressing shock over Gill’s “crass choice of words” against his colleague.

“This in no way represents freedom of expression and anchor should not have brushed the abuse aside as Mr Gill's temper.”