‘Keep your mouth shut’: Hina Pervaiz Butt blasts Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar over acid attack debate

Another day, another controversy involving Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar.

This time, the playwright has found himself at the centre of a heated online debate after remarks he made during a television discussion on acid attacks drew a furious response from Punjab lawmaker Hina Pervaiz Butt.

The exchange took place during a talk show where the discussion had turned to women's rights and violence against women.

According to Butt, she was speaking about the issue when Qamar interrupted with a comment that immediately set off alarm bells.

"You're talking as if we men go out with bottles of acid in our pockets," he said.

For Butt, the remark wasn't just insensitive — it reflected a mindset she believes contributes to the problem.

Soon after the clip began circulating online, she took to X with a blistering response.

"Men with the mindset of Khalil ur Rehman Qamar are a cancer on this society," she wrote.

She went on to argue that anyone unable to understand the severity of acid attacks should refrain from commenting altogether.

"A woman who survives an acid attack becomes a living corpse," she wrote, adding that people with such attitudes often continue to blame women instead of confronting the violence inflicted upon them.

The criticism didn't stop there.

In a video statement, Butt referenced the recent case involving Dr Mahnoor as well as another incident in which a woman was attacked with acid by men riding a motorcycle.

"I am not saying Khalil ur Rehman is that kind of man," she clarified. "But such men do exist in Pakistan."

Her broader point was that dismissing the issue ignores the lived reality of women who face these crimes. As the clip spread, social media quickly split into two camps.

Many users backed Butt and argued that Qamar's comment appeared to minimise a very real problem. Some accused him of helping create an environment where perpetrators are excused rather than condemned.

One particularly angry commenter described those who justify such crimes as being "more dangerous than the criminals themselves."

Others demanded consequences, with some calling for a ban on Qamar's television writing projects.

The conversation also expanded beyond the TV exchange itself.

Several users questioned why acid remains so easily accessible in Pakistan and argued that stronger regulation and legislation are needed to prevent future attacks.

But not everyone agreed with Butt's criticism.

A significant number of users felt her comments unfairly generalized men.

Some argued that acid attackers represent criminals, not all men, and that holding an entire gender responsible was no different from stereotyping women based on the actions of a few individuals.

Others defended Qamar directly, insisting that condemning acid attacks should not automatically translate into blaming men as a whole.

The divide exposed a familiar pattern in Pakistan's online discourse.

What began as a discussion about violence against women quickly evolved into a broader battle over accountability, gender narratives and public responsibility.

And once again, Khalil Ur Rehman Qamar found himself exactly where he often does — at the centre of a social media storm, with critics and supporters fiercely debating whether his words reveal uncomfortable truths or simply perpetuate harmful attitudes.