'Dupatta snatching' in Sindh Assembly: PTI MPA awaits action against 'culprits'

Lawmaker Dua Bhutto's dupatta and mobile phone were allegedly snatched during provincial assembly's budget session

A scuffle between lawmakers of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party took an ugly turn on Monday when a male PPP MPA was accused of snatching the dupatta of a female PTI lawmaker Dua Bhutto.

Today, another PTI lawmaker told Sindh Assembly Deputy Speaker Rehana Leghari that her "lack of action" over the incident had brought dismay to the women MPAs.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) lawmaker Rabia Azfar Nizami on Wednesday requested a public apology from the male lawmaker who allegedly snatched PTI MPA Dua Bhutto's dupatta during the Sindh Assembly session two days ago. #etribune #news #PTI #sindhassembly pic.twitter.com/KxIcdlzLT9

— The Express Tribune (@etribune) June 22, 2022

"We were hoping that you, being a woman, would take due action against the snatching of a woman's dupatta during the session," Rabia Azfar Nizami told Leghari.

She added, "We wanted no inquiry; all we wanted was action from you against it, but we are utterly dismayed."

The deputy speaker tried to explain to Nizami that it wasn't too late and that she shouldn't be dismayed, but the MPA wasn't impressed and maintained her stance.

Addressing the provincial assembly two days ago, Dua Bhutto, who is also the wife of Opposition Leader Haleem Adil Sheikh, took the PPP lawmakers to task for allegedly manhandling her a day earlier.

“My dupatta was taken off, only those who do not respect their own mothers or sisters can do this,” she said.

At this, the female PPP MPAs rose to their seats to intervene, at which Dua asked the deputy speaker to make the "goats" silent.

Another PPP lawmaker then asked for an apology from Dua, who continued her criticism of the party's leaders. Leghari, after sending a warning to the female lawmaker to not name a particular party, switched her microphone off.