A conversation, familiar to many Pakistanis abroad, recently turned to politics back home. Imran Khan’s name came up, followed by a blunt observation: “He’s a misogynist, isn’t he? All that talk about respect…” Those words, a stark reminder of the gap between PTI’s rhetoric and the lived reality of women in Pakistan, left a bitter taste.
In 2021, Imran Khan claimed that if a woman wears “very few clothes,” it’s “common sense” that men will be affected – unless, he added, they’re “robots.” These weren’t careless remarks; they were a slap in the face to every survivor of sexual violence, excusing rape by blaming women. How dare he trivialize trauma and perpetuate harmful stereotypes? What message do women receive when such pronouncements are laced with disrespect? Women’s rights are enshrined in our constitution and, as Army Chief Asim Munir forcefully stated, deeply rooted in Islam. We fail our daughters if this hypocrisy persists. Army Chief Munir’s words, questioning who gave anyone the authority to strip away women’s rights, resonated deeply.
Army Chief Munir’s remarks about the fundamental respect for women in Islam stand in shameful contrast to Imran Khan and the PTI’s behaviour. Their feigned outrage over supposed slights against women feels like a personal betrayal. Arsonists playing firefighters. Imagine a young woman starting her first job. She’s excited, but finds a workplace where Imran Khan’s sexist comments are normalized. Jokes, inappropriate gazes, unwanted staring. Ideas dismissed because of her gender. The constant fear of how to dress, how to look, who to avoid. It’s a daily struggle, eroding the freedoms that Islam and our constitution promise.
What Imran Khan did in Multan was disgusting – a deliberate, misogynistic attack on Maryam Nawaz. The cheers, his party’s silence – a stain on our collective conscience. The PTI’s excuses reveal a party culture blind to, or supportive of, this behaviour. Imran Khan presented himself as a leader of integrity and he must be held to a higher standard. What message are young men receiving? That it’s okay to make lewd jokes, to belittle women? This is the damage: poisoned minds and a climate of fear. Army Chief Munir spoke of inherent dignity; Imran Khan undermines it.
The PTI’s performance is a pathetic attempt to rewrite history. It’s exhausting, this hypocrisy. One starts to feel hopeless. But then, you think of Pakistani women – not politicians, but everyday women. The neighbor working tirelessly, the young teacher shaping futures, your sister chasing her dreams. They remind us there is still hope. Friends, family, colleagues, navigating a devaluing world with resilience and courage. They, and all Pakistanis who believe in decency, deserve better. They deserve leaders who understand that treating women as equals isn’t a favour; it’s a right.
Until Imran Khan and the PTI acknowledge their hypocrisy, apologize sincerely and commit to tangible change, their words on women’s rights will remain a cruel joke, a hollow echo in a nation desperate for authentic leadership. Enough. The time for real action is now.
—The writer is contributing columnist.
(journalistasmabangash@gmail.com)
