Outrage over PTI MNA’s remarks about woman’s dress in NA panel meeting

ISLAMABAD: PTI MNA Iqbal Afridi objected to the dress of a female representative from a power utility during a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Power here on Friday.

Afridi objected to her attire and called for adherence to the modest dress code followed by female lawmakers. Chaired by Mohammad Idris, Afridi expressed his disapproval, stating, “Chairman, the woman’s attire is inappropriate. There should be a standard operating procedure for dress code in the National Assembly committee.”

Post-meeting, Afridi amplified his concerns to the media, questioning the impact of such attire on societal norms. “If people like this come to a civilised society, what will children think?” Afridi contended. “There was also a female member of the assembly present; you saw her attire, it was very modest, she is our sister. This is not the place for such dramatic scenes that the society observes.” He cautioned that the presence of the representative in question could have adverse effects on the system, society and governance.

Following the meeting, when news reporters questioned the committee chairman about the incident, Mohammad Idris dismissed the protest over the woman’s attire as inappropriate and suggested that Afridi’s actions might have stemmed from a misunderstanding. Idris added, “Such behavior is not acceptable in our homes or elsewhere. If anything inappropriate occurred, I apologise.”

PPP Vice-President Senator Sherry Rehman condemned Iqbal Afridi’s objection to the woman’s attire. “The objection raised by Iqbal Afridi to the woman’s attire in the committee meeting is strongly condemnable. The woman earned her place in that room through her competence and abilities, which should have been respected by all committee members. Women should be evaluated based on their ideas and contributions, not their appearance,” she said in response to Afridi’s comments. Sherry said the Pakistan People’s Party fully rejected such discriminatory and derogatory statements. “The speaker of the National Assembly should also demand an apology from him. This behaviour is entirely unacceptable at all levels,” she added.

The PPP vice-president questioned what authority the MNA had to critique a professional woman’s clothing. “Who appointed him as the arbiter of women’s dress codes?” she asked. She emphasized that instead of focusing on the critical issues central to the NA Standing Committee on Power, Afridi ensured that the headlines from today’s meeting were about policing the women’s attire rather than addressing the pressing energy crisis. She urged the PTI to clarify to its members that such behaviour could be deemed harassment anywhere in the world today and must be firmly opposed.

She said Afridi’s unnecessary objection to women’s clothing reflected a mindset rooted in bigotry and gender discrimination. “These objections expose a patriarchal mentality that seeks to control women by criticising their appearance,” she said. “Women have every right to participate in any professional environment in attire they find appropriate and comfortable. This kind of thinking only hinders progress towards gender equality in Pakistan.”

Meanwhile, Federal Minister for Information, Broadcasting, National Heritage and Culture Attaullah Tarar Friday said harassment of women was not acceptable in any form or under any circumstances. In a statement, he strongly condemned the incident during the meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Energy. The minister said the PTI should take action against its MNA. “Already in our society women face difficulties,” he said, adding it was a manifestation of the PTI fascism that was coming to the fore. He said Iqbal Afridi’s party membership should be suspended in order to ensure justice.