Rehan Khan Ghauri
IT is strange to see a news item in a section of media creating undue hue and cry over buying burqas for already burqa-clad girls of a school in Cheena – a small village of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The media instead of presenting the significance of its own norms and culture across the world is projecting westernization – a society which is totally against the Muslim civilization where wearing bikini is a matter of routine life. Before criticizing any social taboo of any society, one should go through the geography of the area to know about likes and dislike of the inhabitants.
The people criticizing the local body’s initiative of buying burqas for Pashtun-cultured girls are working on foreign agendas here in the country to create unrest by highlighting non-issues of the society especially of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Gulalai Ismail — a so-called women’s rights activist – has no right to impose her own like or dislike over the life of Pashtun girls if they feel comfortable in burqas. Who is alien to her dubious activities in the country? Everyone knows a group of anti-state elements is active especially in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province for citing the people against the Pakistan and its defensive forces.
This group is part of the ongoing ‘5th generation warfare’ against Pakistan to destabilize it through instilling negative impression against the country and its machinery. While the whole world was sympathizing with oppressed people of India-occupied and Jammu Kashmir in front of the United Nations General Assembly, this nonsense was a part of a protest demonstration against Pakistan wearing Pashtun Tahfuz Movement (PTM)’s particular cap.
When she was asked to comment over Kashmir issue, she bluntly said she had nothing to do with Kashmir and Kashmiris. In addition, she accused Pakistan of interfere in the internal affairs of India. The stage was set by two anti-Pakistan movements – PTM and Muttahida Qaumi Movement – London. This is just an example to unmask such anti-state elements whose comments are being published by foreign media to malign our social taboos. Talking to this scribe, a defence analyst said it is high time to understand the jargons of enemies aggressively pursuing to sabotage our national resolves and disintegrate the nation.
He said after the war on terror, Pakistan has been pushed into a new quagmire which cannot be countered by security forces all alone but with the help of media and civil society, it could be foiled. He urged media (especially social) and civil society to come up with a pragmatic approach to cope with ongoing malicious campaigns against our national interests and security institutions. The burqa controversy is being debated in a social circle of so-called liberal minds that has nothing to do with our social and religious values, a local tribal elder said while exchanging his views over the issue.
He said they are just mocking at our social ethics and trying to portray a negative image of Islam as being portrayed by the West. He said District Councillor Muzafar Shah had already declared the foreign news agency that he had brought the burqas on the personal request of girls’ parents as they are not in position to buy new ones for their daughters. Tribal elder quoted District Councillor as saying; the 90 % of girls already use burqa in our society and added keeping in view their ailing economic condition, he decided to purchase burqas for the girls.
He said previously, he spent funds on purchasing a solar panel and furniture and built a washroom for the school. “I don’t understand the criticism as locals are happy with my initiative. Had I distributed jeans and skirts among the girls, the media and liberals would have praised me,” he opined. The tribal elder urged media and so-called liberals not to make issue of non-issue as burqa is a common garment being used by our women while going for outdoor activities.
