The ugly side of politics

This refers to the editorial, ‘Gender report’ (July 17). The recently released Global Gender Gap Index report places Pakistan on the 95th position in Political Empowerment. Pakistan’s performance in this particular area is quite commendable. However, this position doesn’t indicate the true picture of Pakistan’s political landscape which is becoming quite toxic for women who have to face the worst personal attacks. Our former PM, who enjoys a huge following among young people, made inappropriate remarks against his political rival Maryam Nawaz Sharif, at a jalsa. The crowd, unfortunately, laughed at his statement. A few weeks before this, at a protest held by PTI supporters following Imran Khan’s ouster, a young protester held a placard with disturbing remarks against Maryam Sharif. Our political leaders, especially those who have held important positions in the past, need to show maturity and grace when talking about their rivals.

Dania Kiyani

Lahore