–Names of Rana Sana, Abid Sher omitted from the original draft after speaker’s objection
–PTI moves provincial assemblies
ISLAMABAD: National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday unanimously adopted a resolution condemning the anti-women remarks issued by parliamentarians.
The resolution put forwarded by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Shireen Mazari was changed three times on the objection of Speaker Ayaz Sadiq before being passed unanimously.
The first draft of the resolution named Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) leaders Rana Sanaullah and Abid Sher Ali, which were taken off on the objection of the speaker.
Opposition Leader Syed Khursheed Shah said that all the women of the country were respectable. He said that the use of abusive language against women had hurt him deeply and he strongly condemns it.
In her speech, Mazari said that the abusive language had reflected the “gutter mindset” of the PML-N leadership. She said that it was not for the first time that such a language had been used against women lawmakers and the same language had been used earlier even in the august house of the parliament.
“No such incident would have happened if this house had taken any action against former minister Khawaja Asif. The statements by Rana Sana, Tallal Chaudhry and Abid Sher reflect the mindset of ruling party. The PML-N ministers use filthy and abusive language against women lawmakers. Abid Sher Ali should apologise in the house for using abusive language against me,” she said.
Mazari deplored that no one but PML-N’s MNA Marvi Memon condemned it. “Please do not test our (PTI) resolve and avoid using such remarks,” she said.
Ayesha Syed from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) said that women from all parties should be respected. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Shahida Akhtar said that action should be taken against the ministers involved in the episode.
Pakistan People’s Party’s (PPP) Shazia Marri said that it was basically a matter of ‘mindset’ against women. “PML-N should have issued show-cause notices to the ministers involved in badmouthing women,” Marri said.
PML-N’s Tahira Aurangzeb said that Islam gives high respect and dignity to women. She said that Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif had apologized for the remarks made by Rana Sana.
PTI MOVES PROVINCIAL ASSEMBLIES:
PTI lawmakers submitted resolutions in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), Punjab and Sindh assemblies on Wednesday, condemning Rana Sana and Abid Sher’s remarks against party workers.
The resolution in KP Assembly was submitted by PTI lawmaker Nadia Sher.
“Strongly condemn the language used by Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanullah and Minister of State for Power Abid Sher Ali,” the resolution submitted in KP Assembly read.
“Political differences on one side, but every mother, daughter and sister of this motherland deserves respect,” it added.
The resolution also called for action to be taken against Sanaullah and Abid Sher under women harassment laws.
A similar resolution was submitted by Nabila Hakim Ali in the Punjab Assembly condemning the remarks against women by PML-N leaders.
Earlier on Tuesday, PTI lawmaker Murad Raas submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly condemning Sanaullah’s remarks against party’s female workers.
On April 30, a day after PTI’s rally at Lahore’s Minar-e-Pakistan, Rana Sana had said, “The women who attended the rally were not from honourable families because their dance moves implied where they had actually come from.”
Rana Sana is not the only PML-N leader who has drawn ire in the past few days over his misogynist remarks.
Federal Minister Tallal, at a separate press conference, had said, “We do not ask whose house you [Imran Khan] stay at when you visit London. It is another matter altogether what you do over there. When it comes to your wife, she remains veiled, but our mothers and sisters are for display?”
A third PML-N leader, Abid Sher, issued derogatory remarks against PTI’s Mazari while addressing a public gathering in Faisalabad on Sunday night.
Abid Sher said that while Mazari was protesting against Finance Minister Miftah Ismail’s budget speech in the NA, she had said, “Do not touch me.”
“What is there to touch?” he asked the crowd.