Women Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) from treasury benches extended their support for State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hina Rabbani Khar, after Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) MNA Abdul Akbar Chitrali criticised her on the recent visit to Afghanistan.
MNA Chitrali said that he was not against any female minister, but he believed that the government should have included some tribal elders in the Khar-led delegation that visited Afghanistan.
Minister for Climate Change Senator Sherry Rehman defended the decision, saying that if Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari decided to send a women delegation to [Kabul], he is correct in making this choice. “This is a message from Pakistan that this government and Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) work and takes pride in promoting its women, protecting their rights and giving them representation,” she said.
Quoting the example of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, the minister said she was the first elected woman prime minister of Pakistan and was highly praised across the globe.
“This debate on gender difference has ended in the entire world, as to who is a man and who a woman. People are known for their performance and merit and not for their gender. Our women are excelling internationally and continuing to do so,” said the minister.
Referring to the incumbent government, she said: “We, being coalition partners, are on one page and Khar’s visit to Afghanistan has projected the soft image of Pakistan.”
Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb also spoke up, asking that all parliamentarians, especially the male community, should encourage and acknowledge the competency of women ministers appointed on merit.
“Hina represented Pakistan in Afghanistan. This is a moment of pride for the entire nation,” she said, rebuffing Chitrali’s objections.
She said the Taliban rulers had no problem negotiating with Khar, who had taken up Pakistan’s concerns very well during her trip to Kabul.
Right from Fatima Jinnah to Kulsoom Nawaz and Najma Hameed, she said, women had sacrificed to strengthen democracy in the country. They were all pride of Pakistan, she added.
“This is a wrong impression from our side that such gender discriminations is happening in our own parliament, in Pakistan. I got emotional seeing Hina Rabbani Khar sahiba sitting at the table alongside the Afghanistan government doing the negotiations. We in Pakistan should be proud of her,” said Aurangzeb.
Later, Chitrali took to the floor of the house and promptly got into a verbal dispute with Aurangzeb and PPP Federal Minister for Poverty Alleviation and Social Safety Shazia Marri said, “Don’t try to scare me. I am not scared of anyone. Who are you? Aram say betho [ Sit down]. We respect women, but they should remain within their limits.”
Ayaz Sadiq then intervened, after which Chitrali offered an apology, stating that he was sorry if his remarks hurt anyone.
He added that his comments were taken in a negative context as he did not mean what his colleagues thought he had said.
