PTI MNA's 'sexist' dress remarks spark backlash

Disciplinary action demanded against PTI MNA Muhammad Iqbal Afridi over his objection to a female colleague's clothing

ISLAMABAD:

PTI MNA Muhammad Iqbal Afridi found himself in hot water on Friday for objecting to what he called "inappropriate attire" of a female colleague in the National Assembly, suggesting that there should be a standard dress code for such formal gatherings.

A meeting of the NA's standing committee sparked controversy when the PTI leader made the sexist remarks, with government ministers demanding disciplinary measures against him and urging the party to suspend the lawmaker's membership.

"Mr chairman, her attire is not up to the mark. We need an SOP for dressing in National Assembly committee meetings," Afridi said addressing the panel's chair Muhammad Idrees.

Following the meeting, Afridi doubled down on his stance, telling the media, "If people like this enter a decent society, what message does it send to children? There was also a female assembly member present, her attire was equally questionable. This is not a scene from a drama society watch."

Responding to a query about whether his objection was ethically correct, Afridi argued that the setting was the NA's standing committee, attended by many people. "If people come [to gatherings] in such a manner in a respectable society, what will children say?" he questioned, noting that the public "learned" from observing them.

"There should not be such democracy here that ruins a society," Afridi asserted.

He further claimed that the "manner in which the other woman came risks ruining the system or the society." In his opinion, allowing such individuals to appear in society in that way was not right.

Meanwhile, Idrees, the power committee's chairman, apologised for the incident, calling it "inappropriate."

When asked if anyone had the "right" to object to a woman's dress, Idrees responded, "No, it is an individual's choice." He added that it was "inappropriate" to object to it, stating: "What he did would have happened under some misunderstanding.

"It does not happen on our forum that someone disrespects or says something like this […] Even if it did happen, I apologise," the committee chief said.

'Policing women's clothing'

Afridi's comments were met with sharp criticism from fellow lawmakers.

PPP Senator Sherry Rehman called Afridi's objection to the woman's dress "regrettable and condemnable."

"Who has made male MNAs 'policemen' on women's clothing?" she asked in a post on X.

"This woman likely earned her position through sheer hard work and merit, which should have been respected by the committee member."

"Such objections reflect a conservative and patriarchal mindset that seeks to control women by targeting their clothing," Rehman added, noting that such thinking was a "hindrance" to achieving gender equality in the country.

"We want women to be judged by their ideas and services, not by their looks or clothes," the senator asserted. "Women have the full right to attend any professional environment in clothes that they prefer and are comfortable for them."

The PPP senator stated that her party "rejected such discriminatory and contemptuous statements."

Federal Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, was quick to condemn Afridi's remarks, stating, "Harassing women in any form is unacceptable. PTI has turned into a party that turns a blind eye to injustice against women."

He urged the party to suspend the lawmaker's membership.

In a statement, Tarar emphasized that harassment against women was "not acceptable under any circumstances."

Referring to the PTI, the PML-N MNA remarked that the "movement of justice has become a movement of injustice for women."

"Women in our society already face a lot of difficulties," the information minister said, labelling the incident as "PTI's fascism that was coming out in the open."

Rehman stressed that women should be judged on their ideas and contributions, not their appearance or clothing. "The PPP fully rejects such discriminatory and derogatory statements," she added.