Hassan Niazi, the 25-year-old nephew of prominent Pakistan cricketer and politician Imran Khan, has apologized for calling a man 'faggot' on Twitter.
Niazi, studying for a master's degree in international human rights, was running for student union president at City University, London. The human-rights law aspirant used the word in a Twitter conversation with a friend. He lost the election by two votes to Rima Amin, who will become the first female president in 11 years.
"It was taken totally out of context. I didn't know what the word faggot meant here. I was making a joke with my friend on Twitter without hurting anyone. The guy I used it against was a Pakistani politician. There are lots of parodies of him portraying him in a 'sissy' way," Niazi said, Evening Standard reports.
Niazi was referring to Pakistan People's Party's Bilawal Bhutto in the conversation. "hahaha wet dream. I doubt he is even capable of it. Waise he is worse than a faggot #babychicken," according to the Guardian.
Later, Niazi posted two other tweets saying "faggot?" ......"I think faggot he won't mind so it's fine". Responding to criticisms, he said that he wasn't joking but expressing his frustrations.
Niazi has promised not to use the word again in any context.
Zoe Burdo, the 22-year-old secretary of the university's LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual and Transgender) Society and student union officer, welcomed the apology. Burdo said that it was inappropriate of him to use such language.
During the campaign, Niazi filed a complaint with the union and urged the leaders to suspend the polling process pending an investigation. He argued that the criticism was part of a larger 'victimisation campaign' to ruin his chance of becoming student union president. Niazi claimed that he was labelled an anti-semitic, homophobic and a racist.
".... I would never say anything to hurt someone. I again reject these false allegations against me during the election campaign...... And if my tweet offended anyone I apologise......the tweet was taken out of context to damage my election campaign. I believe this victimisation also resulted in my loss by only two votes," Niazi said.
