My bad: Sherry Rehman apologises for not intervening during Khawaja Asif's 'sexist' comments

Political leader took to Twitter to clarify her stance

In a recent incident that sparked outrage in Pakistan's Parliament, Senator Sherry Rehman addressed the sexist remarks made by Defence Minister Khawaja Asif against women parliamentarians. Taking to Twitter, Rehman expressed regret for not intervening during the derogatory remarks, which were directed toward opposition women from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party.

In her tweet, Pakistan’s Federal Minister for Climate Change and Environmental Coordination said, "Honestly, I’m sorry I was sharing some points on the passage of our National Adaptation Plan with a colleague in the National Assembly yesterday instead of listening to the noise outside House business in Parliament. I would have intervened to stop women Parliamentarians from being insulted."

Continuing further, she wrote, "I did hear a tail end, but thought it was the usual political match against each other, not specific to women at all. Of course, I was not smiling at the remarks. That was about how pleased I was at the consensus I got in cabinet for the climate plan, which took many nights to get done. Had I heard the remarks of course I would have intervened. My bad."

Honestly, I’m sorry I was sharing some points on the passage of our National Adaptation Plan with a colleague in the National Assembly yesterday instead of listening to the noise outside House business in Parliament. I would have intervened to stop women Parliamentarians from…

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) July 27, 2023

Asif's derogatory remarks were made during a joint session of Parliament where he referenced former Prime Minister Imran Khan's tenure, accusing him of bulldozing legislation and dissolving the National Assembly. Using inappropriate language, Asif stated, "Depraved women should not lecture on chastity." In response, one of the women parliamentarians confronted him, leading to laughter in the House.

Asif further referred to the women parliamentarians as the "remains" and "ruins" of Khan, leading to strong objections from PTI representatives. After the incident, Asif clarified his stance, claiming his remarks were not gender-specific and merely referred to the entire opposition's actions. He stated that PTI Senator Ali Zafar had raised objections to the passage of bills, and he was merely highlighting the hypocrisy of those involved in passing multiple bills quickly.

Amid the growing protest and demands for an apology, Asif maintained that his comments were taken out of context and were not intended to be gender-specific. He argued that male parliamentarians faced critical remarks without protest and suggested that gender equality should also involve tolerance for such references. "If they claim gender equality, then they should tolerate such references," he stated. 

As the controversy continued, Asif kept insisting that his remarks were collectively directed toward the entire opposition and were not gender-specific. “I did not make any remark against the women. There were men parliamentarians sitting over there but they didn’t see that these remarks were for them as well," said the Defence Minister.

The matter continues to be a subject of debate and raises questions about the role of elected representatives in promoting inclusive and respectful discussions while addressing political differences. As the nation watches, many await a resolution and a commitment to more dignified exchanges within Pakistan's legislative bodies.

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