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Gutter politics, Gandapur’s statement reveals PTI mindset: Editorial in Pakistan Today, Nov 11, 2020


As all major national political parties continue campaigning for the upcoming Gilgit-Baltistan elections, the rhetoric coming out of the PTI camp, headed by Kashmir and Northern Areas Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, is simply deplorable. Speaking at a recent rally, he passed some extremely sexist and misogynistic remarks regarding PML(N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz, saying: “she is beautiful, but only because she has spent millions of taxpayer money on surgeries to look the way she does”. He went on to target Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in similar fashion, asking him to “be a man”. Both Ms Nawaz and Mr Bhutto Zardariare representing their parties in the opposition-alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) that has held three successful public gatherings and pulled large crowds, making fiery speeches against the government and establishment. It seems some of that has gotten under the ruling party’s skin as even Prime Minister Imran Khan could not help himself from taking a jibe at Ms Nawaz, stating that although she is a grandmother she is still a child and the only reason she is still in the country and her brothers and father are not is because “she knows we will not put her in jail.” Apart from the unnecessary reference to her age, PM Khan has conveniently brushed over the fact that she spent more than four months behind bars under the PTI government last year.

Personal politics was a hallmark of the 1990s, being a largely male-dominated space, and the country’s first and only female Prime Minister, the late Benazir Bhutto, had to face her fair share of crass and crude sexism from her political opponents, most notably the PML(N) under Nawaz Sharif. That this practice ended overtime and is now again evidently forming a prominent part of a political party’s (ruling) strategy to handle the opposition is unfortunate. For Federal Human Rights Minister, Shireen Mazari, to claim that her party is “committed to ensuring an end to discrimination against and harassment of women … to empower women and girls”, is laughable in light of the comments her fellow cabinet ministers are making. The PML(N)’s reaction to Mr. Gandapur’s comments has been relatively subdued, which is welcome. One hopes the PTI understands that such a vile outlook about women emanating from within the party does nothing to progress the cause for women’s rights in the country, something which is already an uphill task. https://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2020/11/10/gutter-politics-2/