NA resolution condemns ministers’ anti-women remarks

ISLAMABAD: The National Assembly (NA) on Wednesday unanimously passed a resolution to condemn the indecent language used by some ministers against the women of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

“This house strongly condemns the use of indecent language used by ministers against the PTI women,” the one-liner resolution moved by PTI parliamentarian Dr Shireen Mazari said. None of members of the PML-N and their allies strongly condemned the attitude of Minister of State Abid Sher Ali and Punjab Law Minister Rana Sanaullah, who used indecent language for PTI women.

The Speaker, Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, also immediately joined the voice of members, saying that bad precedents were being set. “All women are respectable and they should be respected. Bad traditions will be set if we do not respect women,” he said.

However, on the request of the Speaker, the PTI members agreed to erase words of PML-N minister replacing those with ‘minister’. Earlier, the opposition leader Syed Khursheed Shah raised the issue in the House, saying that members of the House, particularly the female parliamentarians, wanted to speak on the use of highly objectionable remarks made by PML-N ministers for PTI women.

Dr Shireen Mazari regretted that Abid Sher Ali at a public gathering used gutter language for her, saying only a gutter-minded could use such remarks. Earlier, she said Rana Sanaullah also used indecent words for PTI women attending the public meeting in Lahore. “This is highly deplorable and absolutely not acceptable,” she said.

She pointed out that like other respectable women, the sisters of Imran Khan and wives of Shah Mehmood Qureshi were also present at the Lahore public meeting. She recalled that in the past, Khawaja Asif also used un-parliamentary words for her on the floor of the House but he did not apologise.

The PML-N member, Tahir Aurangzeb, also strongly condemned the use of objectionable remarks for women. However, she said the Punjab chief minister had also apologised for the attitude of ministers. “I call upon you to also forgive them,” she said.

Aisha Syed (Jamaat-e-Islami), Shazia Marri (PPP) and Shahid Akhtar Ali (JUI-F) also strongly condemned the attitude of ministers. Aisha Syed said that apology through tweet was not acceptable, saying the minister should apologise on the floor of the House.

Shazia Marri said the role and status of women should not be undermined, saying those who used objectionable remarks should be punished. Shahid Akhtar Ali said humiliation of women inside or outside the parliament was highly condemnable.