Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate for the July 25 general election and former Punjab minister Haroon Sultan has stoked a controversy by terming it “haram” to cast votes for women, according to a news report.
Sultan, who has served as minister for social welfare in the previous tenure of the PML-N government in Punjab, is contesting elections from the National Assembly constituency NA-184 against Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf candidate Zehra Basit Sultan Bukhari, who is also reportedly his sister-in-law.
Addressing a rally in his constituency in Muzaffargarh, Sultan said he will follow the directions of religion and will abstain from casting a vote to any female candidate as it is considered “haram” [forbidden in Islam].”
“I will work under the commands of Allah and His messenger…and will desist from doing the contrary,” he added.
Pakistan People’s Party has fielded Nawaz Iftikhar Khan in this constituency.