Pak Minister slaps journalist during spat over social media star

Pakistan's Science and Technology Minister Fawad Chaudhry on Sunday slapped TV anchor Mubasher Lucman during a spat over Tik Tok star Hareem Shah.

According to Geo News, the event took place at the 'valima' (reception) ceremony of Punjab Irrigation Minister Mohsin Laghari's son. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) leaders Jahangir Tareen and Ishaq Khakwani were also present at the event.

Media reports said that Tareen and Chaudhry were talking about the allegations that Lucman had levelled on him during a TV show, salaciously linking the federal minister to Hareem Shah.

It was at that moment that Lucman arrived there, triggering a war of words between him and Chaudhry over the issue.

The federal minister reportedly protested at the claims thrown at him during Lucman's show. It was then that Chaudhry slapped and shoved the TV anchor. The altercation stopped when the people intervened.

Soon after, both Chaudhry and Lucman left the event.

Chaudhry tacitly admitted to the act, slamming the TV anchor on Twitter, saying: "People like Mubashir Lucman have nothing to do with journalism ... they are [sexual slur] who have barged into journalism. It is everyone's duty to expose [such people]," he tweeted.

It should be noted that Chaudhry had also slapped another TV anchor, Sami Ibrahim, in June last year, and had used slurs against him in a subsequent statement.

Meanwhile, the popular Tik Tok star gained popularity over the social media after she shared a video wherein Hareem Shah was seen inside a conference room at Pakistan prime minister Imran Khan's foreign ministry office.