Aseefa Bhutto demands apology from Khurshid Shah over sexist remarks

The remarks were made during a National Assembly session

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Aseefa Bhutto has demanded Opposition Leader Khurshid Shah to tender an apology over his "sexist remarks" made in the National Assembly on Thursday.

Earlier today, Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq told women in the House to "keep quiet or go outside the assembly if they wanted to continue talking."

At this, the veteran PPP leader asked Sadiq not to restrain "women from talking or else they will fall ill." He went on to add that "barring women from talking in the House would create trouble for us men in the home." The members in the assembly then laughed at the remarks made by Shah.



Demanding an apology from her own party's leader, Aseefa said, "Far too many times this has happened. Insensitive remarks against women in politics have reoccurred in Parliament."

Far too many times this has happend. Insensitive remarks against women in politics have reoccured in Parliament 1/2

— Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) April 13, 2017

She added, "Such remarks should not be tolerated. Hope Khurshid Shah respectfully apologises."

Such remarks should not be tolerated. Hope Khurshid Shah respectfully apologises 2/2

— Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) April 13, 2017

"If Parliament is a model of our society and if our parliament continues to make derogatory remarks against women. It reflects on us," noted former prime minister Benazir Bhutto's daughter.

If Parliament is a model of our society and if our parliament continues to make derogatory remarks against women. It reflects on us.

— Aseefa B Zardari (@AseefaBZ) April 13, 2017

Later, Shah told journalists outside Parliament he had made the remarks about women in the assembly "in a light mood."



On January 20, PPP minister Imdad Pitafi caused a ruckus in Sindh Assembly when he resorted to derogatory remarks against Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) MPA Nusrat Seher Abbasi.

In a similar incident in June last year, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif called Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shireen Mazari "tractor trolley."

Targeting the PTI leader, Asif had pointed towards Mazari and said, "Someone get this tractor-trolley to keep quiet," inviting a storm of criticism from the fellow lawmakers.