Regressive rules

Local authorities in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa have gone on an 'honour'-based power trip, banning women from the front seats of vans and issuing confoundingly conservative dress codes at universities. In the first instance, police in Mansehra banned older schoolgirls from sitting in the front seats of vans because parents had complained that their kids were being harassed by van drivers. They say the move is "in pursuance of the local culture and tradition" and will preserve the children's "safety and honour”.

Anyone who has sat in a van knows that the only passably comfortable seat is the one up front. All that the new rule does is force discomfort on students while letting lazy cops relax in comfort, rather than doing their jobs and arresting van drivers under existing laws. Keep in mind that groping or any other unwanted touching is illegal and carries a punishment of up to three years in jail. Instead of enforcing this existing law, the police have made up one that will make young women feel further objectified while doing nothing to punish lecherous van drivers. The solution is also emblematic of our national approach to policing: blame the victim and deny them their constitutional rights. When crime rises, police suggest hiring security guards. When assaults occur, police encourage 'settlements’.

But the problem goes beyond the police. Hazara University in Mansehra and Bacha Khan University in Charsadda both recently brought in dress codes requiring women to wear abayas and headscarves. The universities’ managements claim this is because the dress is part of our culture. True that an abaya is in line with the Islamic dress code, but it is an Arab import, just as jeans is an import from West. As for headscarves, we take strong offense to France banning them, so why are we hypocritically forcing women here to wear them? Women have every right to decide how they dress. If men have a problem with it, it is the men who are the problem.

As a side note, we must mention that the new dress codes require that men do not have long hair. The argument is that it does not look professional. Yet former Chief Justice of Pakistan Jawwad S Khawaja and former Senate Chairman Raza Rabbani both sported ponytails. Their long hair did not hold them back, but their education and competence did help them advance. Perhaps varsities should focus on these things instead.