Female leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Tuesday defended Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments on sexual violence and temptation. Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul, Parliamentary Secretary for Law Maleeka Ali Bokhari and MNA Kanwal Shauzab held a press conference and came out in support of PM Khan and called out the “liberal brigade” for misrepresenting facts.
Gul claimed that the premier was a “symbol of women empowerment”.
“For the first time in Pakistan, five women ministers are sitting in the federal cabinet. This means that if there is a symbol of women empowerment in Pakistan, it is Prime Minister Imran,” Gul said.
Gul added, “My culture has given me respect, Islam has taught me modesty. Do not try to distort the things said in the Holy Quran.”
Bokhari said that she was proud to be a member of parliament under the leadership of “a man who prioritised the protection of women and children”.
“You can’t distort a question and determine whether or not the premier cares about protecting women and children. You need to see what the government has done,” she said pointing to the establishment of special courts for deciding rape cases and anti-rape crisis cells at hospitals.
“The Prime Minister has set aside Rs100 million in the budget for implementation of the anti-rape law,” Bokhari added.
“We are strong women and we have been strengthened by our leader Imran Khan,” Bokhari said.
“Under PM Imran’s leadership, the two-finger test was abolished,” Bokhari said. “Because we realise the difficulties that women have to face, we ensured that they get their inheritance rights. No other premier has called for such a law,” she said.
MNA Kanwal Shauzab reiterated that PM Khan had empowered women in true sense.
Quoting a verse from the Holy Quran, which she said was the essence of the prime minister’s statement, she remarked that those contesting the premier’s statement were actually contesting Allah.
Shauzab, meanwhile, believes that if you are among those who are “fighting” against the premier’s statement in his HBO interview, then you are “disagreeing with the orders of Allah”.
She said PM Khan explained the commands of Allah regarding women.
“We are proud to live in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” Shauzab said, adding that our society does not accept obscenity.
Earlier in the day, another PTI MNA, Aliya Hamza Malik, too, spoke in support of the premier. In an appearance on Geo Pakistan on Tuesday, Malik urged “liberals” to listen to the premier’s statement before critiquing it.
She said the premier made a comparison between the East and the West when speaking about rape cases.
PM Khan has made strict laws for abusers, she said, adding that the state is fulfilling its responsibility and it is our job to make strict legislation.
