Staff Reporter Islamabad
Female MNAs from the ruling PTI on Tuesday defended Prime Minister Imran Khan’s problematic comments on rape and sexual violence, calling out the “liberal brigade” for misrepresenting the facts.
Their presser comes a day after female lawmakers from opposition parties lambasted the premier for his comments.
During the presser, Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul claimed that the premier was “a symbol of women empowerment” as no other party had managed to mobilise women in the political sphere to this extent.
“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,” she said.
Parliamentary Secretary for Law Maleeka 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”.
She said that the first instructions the premier gave the law ministry were to make laws to put an end to sexual abuse and violence against 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.
“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 maintained that the prime minister had empowered women in the 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 said the prime minister’s actions showed his concern for the issue of sexual abuse of women and children and that his comments were taken out of context.
