Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Pakistan's 'biggest feminist' under fire after sexist tirade

He calls himself "Pakistan's biggest feminist", but soap-opera writer Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar sparked a national row this week after he hurled abuse at a women's rights activist on live television.

The invective-laden diatribe came just days before thousands of people marched in cities across Pakistan to mark International Women's Day, adding fuel to growing calls for greater freedoms in the ultra-conservative nation where pushback against such demands can sometimes be vicious.


Qamar's tirade targeting activist Marvi Sirmed quickly went viral, highlighting Pakistan's acrimonious conversation around women's rights and cultural values.

While appearing on a television panel to discuss the upcoming Aurat (women's) march, Qamar took aim at its slogan, "My body, my choice".

He told Sirmed that "no one would even spit on your body" -- adding she was a "cheap woman" who should "shut up".

Reaction was swift, with local media giant Geo Entertainment -- which recently signed Qamar to write soap operas -- suspending his contract, while politicians and celebrities condemned him on social media.

Drama critic Sadaf Haider told AFP that Qamar held "deeply misogynistic" views that he wove into his soaps, arguing that such narratives are "not helping the cause of women's rights" in Pakistan.

Qamar declined repeated requests for comment, though he has appeared on other talk shows and refused to apologise, blaming Sirmed for interrupting him on air.

Pakistani soaps have been criticised for their depiction of female protagonists -- often damsels in distress silently accepting abuse from their in-laws and husbands, and that is shown as a strength.

Female villains are usually the opposite: they do not want to settle down, do not want to conform and end up creating problems by seducing the virtuous heroine's husband.

While Qamar has come under fire for the negative portrayal of women in his soap operas, his latest work, Meray Paas Tum Ho (I have you) broke viewership records in Pakistan.

- Whose body? -

The "my body, my choice" slogan during last year's event generated criticism in a Muslim country largely unaffected by the global #MeToo movement.

Organisers and participants were accused of promoting Western, liberal values and disrespecting religious and cultural sensitivities.

Some of the more provocative posters and slogans from the march discussing divorce, sexual harassment and menstruation drew a quick backlash and a slew of threats against the organisers.

Last month, anti-march campaigners filed a petition in Lahore to block this year's event, which is set for Sunday.

Lawyer Azhar Siddique alleged it is being funded by "various anti-state parties" with the aim of sowing "anarchy" in society.

The judge ruled that a ban would be unconstitutional, but warned marchers to refrain from spreading "hate speech and immorality".

A separate petition in Islamabad calling for a ban on the march was also dismissed Friday.

Nighat Dad, part of the Aurat march organising committee, was unfazed by the backlash to previous events.

"In reality, men like Khalil-ur-Rehman Qamar are threatened, which is why they are coming up with all kinds of ridiculous arguments against the women's movement," she told AFP.

Women have long fought for basic rights in Pakistan, where activists often face harassment and threats for the work they do.

Sirmed, the activist, is known to have received multiple death threats.

In 2012, she escaped unharmed when unknown assailants fired upon her car. Her home was ransacked in 2018 and her laptops, passport and other travel documents were taken.

Amnesty International expressed support for the Aurat march, saying in a statement that the "horrific threats of violence, intimidation and harassment of the marchers must stop".

Much of Pakistani society operates under a strict code of "honour", systemising the oppression of women in matters such as the right to choose who to marry, reproductive rights and even the right to an education.

According to estimates by the Honour Based Violence Awareness Network, at least 1,000 women fall victim to honour killings in Pakistan each year.

Pakistan ranked a dismal 136 on the UN Development Programme's Gender Inequality Index in 2018, doing worse than most of its South Asian neighbours.

More For You

Asian-inspired garden earns
five awards at Hampton Court

(From left) Malcolm Anderson (RHS, head of sustainability) Clare Matterson (RHS director general), Lorraine Bishton (Subaru UK and Ireland, managing director) Andrew Ball (director, Big Fish Landscapes) Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews with the medals

Asian-inspired garden earns five awards at Hampton Court

BRITISH Asians are being encouraged to take up gardening by a couple who have won a record five medals at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

“It’s a contemporary reimagining of a traditional walled garden, highlighting the British and Irish rainforests,” said Jewlsy Mathews, who was born in Britain of parents from Kerala, a southern Indian state known for its lush vegetation.

Keep ReadingShow less
uk weather

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England

iStock

England faces widespread heat alerts and hosepipe bans amid rising temperatures

Highlights:

  • Amber heat health alerts in place for large parts of England
  • Hosepipe bans announced in Yorkshire, Kent and Sussex
  • Temperatures could reach 33°C over the weekend
  • Health risks rise, especially for elderly and vulnerable groups

Heat warnings in effect as UK braces for another hot weekend

Amber heat health alerts have been issued across several regions of England, with temperatures expected to climb to 33°C in some areas over the weekend. The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) activated the warning at 12 pm on Friday, with it set to remain in place until 9 am on Monday.

The alerts cover the East Midlands, West Midlands, south-east, south-west, East of England, and London. Additional yellow alerts were issued for the north-east, north-west, and Yorkshire and the Humber, starting from midday Friday.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essex ladybird invasion

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear

Dee-anne Markiewicz / SWNS

Swarms of ladybirds invade Essex coastline amid soaring temperatures

Highlights:

  • Ladybird swarms reported across Essex and Suffolk coastal towns
  • Hot weather likely driving the sudden surge in population
  • Sightings include Point Clear, Shoebury, Clacton and Felixstowe
  • Similar outbreaks occurred in 1976 during another hot UK summer

Sudden surge in ladybird numbers across the southeast

Millions of ladybirds have been spotted swarming towns and villages along the Essex coast, with similar sightings stretching into Suffolk. Residents have reported unusually high numbers of the red and black-spotted insects, particularly near coastal areas, with the recent hot weather believed to be a major contributing factor.

One of the largest gatherings was filmed on a beach at Point Clear, a village near St Osyth in Essex, where the insects could be seen piling on top of each other on driftwood and plants.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kapil Sharma

Kapil Sharma’s Canada cafe shot at days after opening

Instagram/ginnichatrath

Kapil Sharma’s Canadian café targeted in shooting, Khalistani terrorist cites mockery of Nihang Sikhs as motive

Highlights:

  • Shots were fired at Kap’s Café in Surrey, Canada, owned by comedian Kapil Sharma, just days after its opening.
  • Khalistani extremist Harjit Singh Laddi, linked to banned group BKI, claimed responsibility.
  • The motive cited was an old comedy segment from The Kapil Sharma Show that allegedly mocked Nihang Sikhs.
  • No injuries were reported; Canadian authorities are investigating the incident.

Comedian Kapil Sharma’s recently launched Kap’s Café in Surrey, British Columbia, was the target of a shooting in the early hours of 10 July. Though no one was harmed, the property sustained significant damage. A known Khalistani extremist, Harjit Singh Laddi, has claimed responsibility for the attack, citing perceived religious disrespect on The Kapil Sharma Show.

 Kap\u2019s Cafe in Surrey  Kap’s Cafe in Surrey was struck by gunfire late at night with staff still insideInstagram/thekapscafe_

Keep ReadingShow less
Police probe hate crime over migrant effigies bonfire in Northern Ireland

Models depicting migrants wearing life jackets in a small boat alongside two banners reading 'Stop the boats' and 'Veterans before refugees' are displayed on top a bonfire in Moygashel, Northern Ireland, on July 9, 2025. (Photo by PETER MURPHY/AFP via Getty Images)

Police probe hate crime over migrant effigies bonfire in Northern Ireland

POLICE in Northern Ireland have launched a hate crime investigation after a bonfire topped with effigies of migrants in a boat was set alight in the village of Moygashel, County Tyrone.

The incident, which took place on Thursday (10) night, has drawn widespread condemnation from political leaders, church officials, and human rights groups.

Keep ReadingShow less