MNA Ayesha Gulalai, on Tuesday, announced that she will quit the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI).
Citing ill-treatment of women in the party as the reason for her decision, she said that she had conveyed her grievances to the PTI leadership but no action was taken, which forced her to take the decision.
The announcement came moments ahead of the prime ministerial election in National Assembly.
“Women workers are not respected in the PTI and a respectable woman worker cannot remain in the party,” Gulalai said.
She also lamented the kind of culture some party leaders were trying to promote, which she said was not in line with Pukhtoon cultural values. “A respectable female worker cannot remain in the party,” she said.
She said that Article 62 and 63 of the Constitution should also be applicable to morally corrupt people.
She added that workers in the party had been protesting on several issues, including corruption. However, she said “the atmosphere in the party does not support these things. The way the PTI is portrayed is not the actual reality of the party.”
Gulalai, who was elected to the NA on a reserved seat for women from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA), has been a staunch and vocal supporter of the PTI and Imran Khan and often featured on prime time talk shows to defend party policies.
She will be resigning from both, her party membership and the seat in NA.
Commenting on her departure, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman tweeted: “MNA Ayesha Gulalai’s rebuke adds to the disquiet about a woman’s place in the party.”
Another educated woman exits the PTI. MNA Ayesha Gulalai’s rebuke adds to the disquiet about a woman’s place in the party. Not good https://t.co/2jJiIraLtV
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) August 1, 2017
Speaking to a private news channel, Gulalai said, “I have been in PTI for a very long time and I tolerated the treatment for a long time, I even stepped back and enrolled for a PhD course, because respectable women are not safe in PTI.”
She clarified that there is no confirmation about her joining Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), but added that she knows that Nawaz Sharif is a family-man who knows how to respect women.
She cited an earlier incident in New York where a US House of Representatives—Anthony Weiner who resigned from the US House of Representatives over sending explicit messages—resigned over charges of sexual misconduct.
Gulalai also revealed that she met PTI Chairman Imran Khan, along with a delegation, recently to talk about the ‘corruption’ of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Pervez Khattak regarding the party’s Billion Tree Tsunami campaign under way in KP.
When she was asked whether her reason for leaving PTI was rampant corruption or the safety of women and their dignity, she specified that it was the latter.
It is crucial to mention here that when some channels reported the development, PTI’s spokesman claimed the post was fake and would be deleted, and a clarification would be issued by Gulalai, adding that the accounts for Gulalai were being run by her brother.
Later, speaking to the media, Gulalai confirmed that she had, in fact, left PTI, citing the same reasons mentioned in her social media post that ‘the image of the party shown to the world is not the reality of what goes on inside the party.’
According to sources, her meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Monday lasted three hours but PTI Spokesman Fawad Chaudhry told journalists that he did not know about any complaints that Gulalai had with the party.
Naz Baloch, another female politician, had quit the party earlier this month to join PPP, claiming that only male members were given importance, and women party workers were kept at a distance while the youth was restricted only to social media.
SHIREEN MAZARI CALLS GULALAI AN ‘OPPORTUNIST’:
Women leaders of PTI came out in defence of their party, as well as chairman Imran Khan, calling former member Ayesha Gulalai an opportunist for levelling allegations of corruption and sexism in the party.
Addressing the media, senior PTI leader Shireen Mazari said Gulalai had wanted a seat for NA-1 and is now hurling accusations, even though the decision about handing out tickets has not been finalised.
Mazari said that Gulalai could have left the party if she had wanted to but should have refrained from hurling false accusations against PTI chief.
“Imran Khan gave respect to us…Gulalai doesn’t realise how much respect she was given,” she said.
Mazari then criticised political rivals, asking if Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leader Khawaja Asif had forgotten “that he said things about me [as well]”.
All they need is a designation and a political career. Down with all of them
Greed for money .She is attracted to Noon when she learnt how much Nawaz and Family made. What kind of treatment does she expect? She is bitten off by money,money and money. Just disgraceful for any person.
You are very correct, money matters. She sold her soul to the devil, Nawaz sharif. There will be more PTI people who will join PMLN for money
Pti party treat their women like 2nd rate citizins.The party is a demogogic party just about Imran Khan.Can u imagine Sheikh Rashid as prime minisitera a very sad proposition
اپ کو کے پتا ھے کیا اپ عورت ھین؟
He will he better than LNG Abbasi, known corrupt man, useless genetic garbage.
Shame on shameless gulalai witch. She has lost all moral grounds to be part of pti n she deserves to be kicked out of pti well in time. She must join fazlur rehman as both gulalai n molana have same characteristics. Shame on shemale gulalai
[…] PAKISTAN TODAY […]
Do you, Ayesha want to do something worthwhile and revolutionary for the people and country? Do you? Then invite people and show them how to organise themselves to be able to stand on their own legs, thus work for their own betterment through self-help.
How? Tell people to come together in the localities where they live, starting from your own locality. People must learn to come together regularly one or two days every week to organise themselves to be able to join hands with each other to work for their betterment and security.
Nothing will change for the people. Never. Not until they start organising themselves. They have seen it themselves for years and years that these political parties and misleaders are no good for them. Have they or have they not? So is it not time to try something else? Can there be anything better than self-help? So should we all not come out and join hands to organise self-help? Organise and see what happens. Once people start to organise it is guaranteed that they will never look back.
This woman says she was mistreated. I am totally aghast at this silly accusation. There is a photo circulating on youtube where Gulalai is sitting on stairs or something next to Imran Khan. She is almost nestling while Mr Khan is clearly showing his dislike . Picture tells the story. By *respect* she meant complete attention. Get rid of all such scum PTI NOW.
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