State Minister for Climate Change Zartaj Gul walked out of a live show on Samaa TV Tuesday night. She was irked by the participation of Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl leader Hafiz Hamdullah.

Gul said she was unaware that Hamdullah would also be there on the show. She accused the JUI-F Leader of making derogatory remarks about her in a viral video.

In an interview last month, Gul had praised Prime Minister Imran Khan saying that “the world knows of his killer smile during a crisis”. Hamdullah had mocked her in the viral video, saying that his smile was great too.

“I am only registering my protest on your show,” the state minister said, calling for a “social boycott” of the JUI-F leader.

She demanded the anchorperson either send the JUI-F leader away or she would leave the show.

Anchorperson Malik said that if a person makes such derogatory remarks about any woman then that person is condemnable. “Be it Hafiz Hamdullah, some cleric or a leader of highest stature,” he said.

The anchorperson told Hamdullah that he was supposed to apologize to Gul if he had made those remarks.

“I can’t sit beside this man, he is a social embarrassment,” Gul said as she walked out of the studios.

The anchorperson then gave a chance to Hamdullah to explain his position and apologise if he had made those remarks.

“I consider her my sister,” the JUI-F leader said of State Minister Gul. “I too have sisters and daughters…why would I disrespect a sister.”

The anchorperson told him that he should apologize if he had uttered any derogatory words about Gul.

“The mood in which I spoke, I state under oath, I didn’t speak in that way as if I disrespect or deride her,” Hamdullah responded. “Why would I? What issue would I have with her?

“But despite all this…. if she was hurt then I apologize for that,” the JUI-F leader said. “I would not disrespect her even if she abused me.”

He, however, said that his remarks were not in a context in which they were taken by Gul.

The anchorperson praised the JUI-F leader for apologizing to Gul. He then politely asked him to quit the show as well.