Under-fire Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader (PTI) Naeemul Haque who earlier this week lost his temper on a TV show and slapped PML-N's Daniyal Aziz said on Thursday that party chief Imran Khan had lauded his move.

Haque and Aziz, in an appearance on Geo TV's 'Aapas Ki Baat' programme at the Islamabad studio, traded barbs when some remarks made by Aziz apparently infuriated Haque, who then slapped the privatisation minister.

A video clip shows the PTI leader slapping Aziz, saying: "How dare you [Aziz] call me a thief, you should be ashamed of yourself."

Aziz appeared visibly stunned after the incident.

In a video shared by Dunya News on Twitter, Haque said: "This person (Aziz) attacked Imran Khan's character ─ and he kept doing it, and then lying, and when he called me a thief, slapping him was a natural response," he explained.

"Imran Khan praised it, saying that I did the right thing because he had been spitting venom for a long time."

"All the PTI's supporters have lauded the move," he added.

Shortly after Haque's statements in the Dunya News video were reported, the PTI leader took to Twitter to defend his remarks, saying: "Contrary to what some media is projecting, Imran Khan never appreciated the slap but commended me for countering the abusive and false onslaught of Daniyal. Imran Khan never encourages [the] use of violence anywhere anytime."

Haque came under fire for the slap from a number of political leaders and commentators. This is not the first time he has been involved in a physical altercation while appearing on TV. In 2011, the PTI leader threw a glass at PPP's Jameel Soomro after the former allegedly hurled verbal abuse against him.

Aziz, while commenting on the incident, said that the general attitude of PTI leaders is very intolerant. "They cannot tolerate criticism and resort to violence."

He added later that it was a "pre-planned move" by Haque and the PTI to provoke him, and that it reflected frustration in the PTI and among its "handlers".

Opinion

From hero to zero

From hero to zero

The infighting as the country tumbles from regime to regime and from set-up to set-up is so great that it infects everything around it.

Editorial

Relying on debt
Updated 03 Oct, 2023

Relying on debt

Sadly, the ruling military and civil elite haven’t grasped the seriousness of the economic crises.
Palestine abandoned
03 Oct, 2023

Palestine abandoned

IT appears to be only a matter of time before a normalisation deal is announced between Saudi Arabia and Israel....
Killjoys in Swat
03 Oct, 2023

Killjoys in Swat

IN yet another blow to women’s rights in Pakistan, a group of young, spirited girls seeking to participate in a...
Faizabad redux
Updated 02 Oct, 2023

Faizabad redux

TLP was allowed to flourish despite its virulent ideology, recurrently causing immense embarrassment for Pakistani authorities in later years.
Exporting beggars
02 Oct, 2023

Exporting beggars

A RECENT revelation by the Senate Standing Committee on Overseas Pakistanis during a briefing to the Senate has...
Brutalising society
02 Oct, 2023

Brutalising society

THE Senate Standing Committee on Interior passed a bill last week with a majority vote that favoured the public...