The nephew of Pakistan cricket legend Imran Khan has apologised after describing a politician as a "faggot" on Twitter.
Hassan Niazi, 25, who was running for student union president at City University, used the slur in an exchange with a friend.
He told the London Evening Standard : "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 Pakistan politician. There are lots of parodies of him portraying him in a ‘sissy’ way.
"I will never use this word again. I am someone who believes we have to respect everyone and I fight for human rights. If anyone was hurt by the comments, I’m sorry.”
Mr Niazi, who is studying for a masters degree in international human rights and wants to be a human rights lawyer, lost the election by two votes.
In photographs on his Twitter account, Mr Niazi is seen with comedian Russell Brand and his girlfriend and Khan’s ex-wife Jemima Khan.
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