The woman, who introduced herself as Palwasha from Lakki Marwat, a conservative town in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, asked about the social issues plaguing her community.
She mentioned that while the men in her society are regular mosque-goers and women stay indoors unless necessary, the area faces rampant issues like drug addiction, pedophilia, and adultery.
She questioned why religious scholars weren’t addressing these problems, especially pedophilia.
Dr. Naik’s initial response was a joke, saying that like the women in her society, “he himself doesn’t leave the house unless needed,” adding that men should also stay home if there’s no need to go out.
He then claimed her question was contradictory, as she described her community as religious while also acknowledging these serious social issues. Dr. Naik suggested she should seek forgiveness for asking such a question.
When Palwasha attempted to clarify that the individuals involved in these issues were the same people attending mosques, Dr. Naik interrupted her, insisting her question was wrong and becoming more dismissive as the exchange continued. At one point, he bluntly told her to let him speak.
The video, shared on Dr. Naik’s X (formerly Twitter) account with the caption “Pathan Girl asks Dr Zakir Naik a contradictory question about Pakistani society,” sparked outrage online, with many criticizing his tone and approach.
Veteran journalist Abbas Nasir condemned Dr. Naik for using the term “Pathan girl” in the caption, accusing him of self-righteous behavior.
Nazrana Yousufzai, a Twitter user, called the interaction “deflection, insult, and bullying of a young student.”
Another user, Faran Manj, pointed out that Dr. Naik’s response discouraged Palwasha from asking such questions in the future and insulted her in the process.
Dr. Maryam labeled the response as bullying, suggesting Dr. Naik had no real answer to the question, while Hassan Saeed praised Palwasha’s question as “brilliant” and called out Dr. Naik for belittling her.
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