Women lawmakers slam PM Imran over his 'few clothes' remarks

The woman parliamentarians have taken a swipe at Prime Minister Imran Khan over his controversial statement on women’s dressing.

In an interview on HBO – aired on Axios' website on Sunday– interviewer Jonathan Swan asked if the PM thinks what women wear has any effect on the temptation that leads to rapes, the PM replied, “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they’re robots. I mean it is common sense.”

Confused, Swan rephrases his question, “But is it really going to provoke acts of sexual violence?” Maintaining his stance, PM Imran proceeded to elaborate, “It depends on which society you live in."

He added that: “If in a society people haven’t seen that sort of thing, it will have an impact [on them]. Growing up in a society like yours, maybe it won’t impact you. This cultural imperialism… Whatever is in our culture must be acceptable to everyone else."

Criticising the PM’s remarks, PPP Senator Sherry Rehman tweeted that, "Whether it’s our laws or even our religion, which is very clear that respect for women is the responsibility of the beholder, no man has the right to blame women or how they dress, for violence, rape and crimes against women. Shocked that our PM is doing this.”

“Does IK [Imran Khan] not know that by saying women should dress a certain way, he is giving oppressors and criminals against women a new narrative to justify their behaviour. There is NO justification for a prime minister to talk this way. Highly irresponsible and condemnable," she said in a follow-up tweet.

Sindh Minister for Women Development Shehla Raza said PM Imran should focus on the issues being faced by the country instead of “keeping an eye on the women”.

The provincial minister said Imran Khan should not have said this while sitting on the seat of the prime minister of the country.

Other women lawmakers of the Sindh Assembly also slammed the premier over his controversial remarks.

“The world got an insight into a mindset of a sick, misogynistic, degenerate & derelict IK. It’s not women's choices that lead to sexual assault rather the choices of men who choose to engage in this despicable and vile CRIME,” said PML-N spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb in a tweet.

“Maybe the misogynist, degenerate can defend paedophiles and murderers, as he advocates for rapist, after all men cannot be expected to control temptation. Just FYI Mr degenerate, self-control is a little thing upon which Allah places a great premium,” she added.

(With input from DNA)