Pakistan is not specifically known for treating its women well, for women here have always been at the receiving end of biased treatment at the hands of the society in general. Women politicians, just because they’re more visible in the public eye have always been more exposed. Our history is brimming with such examples. And one doesn’t have to probe too far.
What we saw in these past couple of days, with Khawaja Asif resorting to sexist tweets about Firdous Ashiq Awan, is not the first time the PML-N leader has indulged in such behaviour. Firdous Ashiq Awan has recently joined the PTI and apparently, this gave Asif enough ‘authority’ to pass another distateful remark on the women in PTI.
A couple of politicians have recently joined the PTI from other parties but apparently, only women politicians qualified for a slur, not the males.
There is silver lining for IK, Tractor trolly & newly acquired dumper can b used for hauling political garbage..no additional effort/expense
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) June 12, 2017
While PM making history thru personal example..IK collecting political garbage,taking party to gutters..pretending recycling of incyclable
— Khawaja M. Asif (@KhawajaMAsif) June 12, 2017
This highly distasteful remark comes only a year after Shireen Mazari was hit by another verbal abuse by Khawaja Mohammed Asif, while he was presenting a speech on load shedding in Ramzan. He reportedly called her a “tractor trolley” when she protested against some of the points he made.
After a few days, he did apologise but was careful to not mention her name in the apology.
Asif’s remarks about Firdous Ashiq Awan ignited a debate in the social media about the plight of women parliamentarians in Pakistan.
Below is a little compilation of men politicians who have directly or indirectly abused their female counterparts:
Javed Latif (PML-N)
Earlier this year, during a media talk, hours after a scuffle between PML-N and PTI leaders in the parliament; PML-N’s MNA Javed Latif passed such distateful remarks about PTI’s Murad Saeed’s two younger sisters, that the PTI leader was prompted to attempt to land a punch on Javed Latif’s face.
Javed Latif later accepted that he should not have passed such remarks about Murad Saeed’s sisters, however, he refused to comment on whether his remarks were ‘right or wrong’.
Fayyaz-ul-Hassan-Chauhan (PTI)
In a rather unfortunate episode, PTI’s Fayyaz-ul-Chohan casually remarked, “Begum Naseem Wali was caught red-handed stealing underwear in London”, live on a TV show.
His bad mouthing her in a condescending manner on live TV was a clear mark of disrespect for the first ever woman to be elected in the province of KP.
Sheikh Rasheed (Awami Muslim League)
This is a country that did not even spare the first ever woman Prime Minister in the Muslim world, Benazir Bhutto, who was regularly ridiculed on her choice in clothes, a private matter some would argue—but certainly not in this country where everything related to women is eventually a man’s business.
Apparently, during one session as she was on her way out of the assembly, Sheikh Rashid made it a point to pause his speech and call her by a name that is considered very offensive by the general public in Rawalpindi. All because she was wearing a yellow suit that day and chose to walk out during his speech.
Imdad Pitafi (PPP)
Imdad Pitafi, the minister for works and services, caused an uproar in the Sindh Assembly on Friday on passing inappropriate remarks about Sahar Abbasi (PML-F) during a National Assembly session. In response to a question asked by Abbasi, he allegedly invited her to his chamber for what he called a “satisfactory reply”.
She later threatened to set herself on fire, while talking to media outside the assembly. She demanded Pitafi to resign, which never came to pass.
Bakhtawar Zardari publically condemned Pitafi’s lewd remarks on Twitter.
Yes must apologise absolutely unacceptable behaviour & totally against ethos of our party that has been led by the strongest of women #PPP https://t.co/3BZAlvC4c6
— Bakhtawar B-Zardari (@BakhtawarBZ) January 21, 2017
Pitafi finally apologised to Sahar Abbas in the Assembly, by draping a chador over her as a symbol of his ‘respect’ for her.
Hafiz Hamdullah (JUI-F)
During a TV show in 2016, JUI-F Senator Hafiz Hamdullah verbally abused Marvi Sirmid, a renowned social activist.
Sirmid mentioned in a Facebook post that Hamdullah passed obscene remarks about her and her mother and also tried to physically assault her.
People from all walks of life condemned this horrid act of verbal abuse by Hamdullah, who very conveniently walked away from the whole issue.
Imran Khan (PTI)
PTI chairman Imran Khan has been very vocal about his issue against the selection process of women on reserved seats. However, he crossed the line when talking to media in 2013, he said that “he knows how, all these women who’ve been criticising his stance on reserved seats, have themselves been elected” in a suggestive manner.
PTI Rallies
This abusive behaviour towards women is apparently not only limited to men in the parliament; in fact, it’s transmitted even into the male supporters of these political parties as well.
During a PTI rally in 2016, some men broke into the women’s enclave and began to molest them. Imran Khan had to stop his speech in order to stop those men harassing the women.
PTI supporters claimed that the abusers were PML-N goons sent in to deliberately disrupt the PTI rally.
PTI supporters are notorious for abusing and trolling women on social media.
It is difficult to interpret everyday bigotry since it is cleverly disguised as satire or humour. While women all over the world are trying to tackle it in one way or another, here in Pakistan, it is being institutionalised in an ugly manner for everyone to witness.
Men in the Pakistan political system often perceive strong women as a threat and hence take refuge in adopting offensive behaviour whenever confronted with a strong argument, raised by them. But the fact that nobody pays a heed to these remarks and that they can get away with abusing women so easily is the basic source of this ongoing dilemma.
It should be the utmost objective of all political parties to come together and honour Pakistan’s women politicians and all the other women who’re an active part of the political system.
According to Asma Jahangir, a former president of the Supreme Court Bar Association and distinguished human rights activist, “Once they are penalised, no one will dare talk in that tone,” she said while talking to a private television channel.
“It’s shameful that they don’t know how to talk to a woman. Are they the elected representatives of people attending an assembly session or some goons?”
