PM’s order to lift a ban on the entry of maids in the Islamabad Club will help Pakistanis treat everyone as equals
KARACHI: In Pakistan, for a long time domestic workers have been ill-treated by their so-called masters. We have ample evidence of torture and abuse of domestic workers at the hands of their masters. Little Tayaba’s is a case in point. In another case that happened more recently, a maid, Uzma, was tortured and murdered by three women because she ‘dared’ to help herself with a serving of meat in the house she worked at. While the three women have been arrested, there is a long way to go before we can completely eliminate such incidents.
Prime Minister Imran Khan has perhaps taken the first step to do away with the elitist and colonial mindset that runs deep in our country even after more than 70 years of independence
In a tweet, Minister of State for Interior Shehryar Afridi shared that Prime Minister Imran Khan has lifted a ban on the entry of maids in the Islamabad Club. The tweet reads, “Symbols of Elitism and colonial mindset will be removed. Prime Minister Imran Khan has ordered to (sic) remove the ban on entry of maids/servants in elite clubs ie starting from Islamabad Club. Rather we should have been thankful to them for carrying our weights. Abolish boundaries made in name of wealth, colour, etc.”
This is a great move as we have witnessed many a time that a domestic worker is made to stand outside while his/her master and their family dines at a restaurant. Such an attitude towards domestic workers only widens the class divide in the country. Prime Minister Imran Khan’s order will help Pakistanis to treat everyone as equals.
Hurmat Abdullah
Published in The Express Tribune, January 31st, 2019.
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