Rashid says he meant Hamfield, not Middlesex, when taking dig at Khan

Federal Information Minister Pervaiz Rashid on Monday dismissed social media uproar over a comment he made during an earlier press conference as “just a joke that should be taken as such”, adding that he has been misquoted by social network users.

“My reference was to the word ‘Hamfield’, which is the Goldsmith residence where Imran Khan stays when he visits the United Kingdom,” Rashid told a private media outfit. “Nowhere have I said ‘Middlesex University’.”

In a press conference held Sunday evening, Rashid had hit out at political rival Imran Khan when he said: “Take the name of that place… where your [Imran Khan’s] children are growing up. I will not take the name of that place…because if a Muslim says the word he will have to perform wuzu (ablution for cleansing) for even bringing it on his tongue.”

He added: “Ask Khan sb the name of that area, if he says the name of that area he will have to do wuzu.”

A short video clip of the press conference went viral on social media, with some Twitter users demanding the minister apologise for a comment made in “poor taste”. Rashid also became the butt of trending hashtags, with #placespervaizrasheedcantname taking the lead.

In an attempt to clarify his statement, Rashid said his statement was a joke aimed at Imran Khan, who often takes similar digs at the government.

“It was obviously a joke. The PTI says so many things about us, so I also said something as a joke,” he told the media outfit.

“I was clearly referring to the Goldsmith house where Imran Khan stays when he visits, the same place where his children also grew up.”

“I made a joke. But people should relax. Things are sometimes said on a lighter note and people in our country should learn how to take it.”

Rashid further said he made the joke specifically against Khan because “he claims to be very religious”. “I made the joke thinking about him, because if he claims to be so pious, how does he explain the [Hamfield] address to UK taxi drivers when he visits?”

The ambiguous “joke” centers on the word ‘ham’ in Hamfield, as Islam forbids Muslims from eating pork.

It is not clear whether the family of Jemima Goldsmith, Khan’s former wife, owns a home in Hamfield.