THIS is apropos Shazia Nizamani’s article ‘Women in politics’ ( April 16). It is yet another good review, and reminder of the status and standing of women in this country, particulary in politics, the most important and effective and, in fact, the decisive department of society. The current situation with regard to the status of women is the result of thousands of years of male domination and it will require decades, if not centuries, of intense and arduous struggle by women themselves, in collaboration with other oppressed segments of society.

Changing loyalties, as is the case with Krishna Kumari, will not ‘change the system’ as Ms Nizamani is hoping. People like Kumari and her brother use the ‘advocacy’ for the rights of the marginalised as the ladder for their personal rise. The said siblings using the platform of ‘Kohlis’ first joined the Arbab Rahim group and now, feeling the direction of the wind, have jumped onto the bandwagon of the Pakistan Peoples Party, the biggest party of the feudals in Pakistan. And we all know very well how feudals treat women.

Banazir Bhutto’s was the rarest of the rare case when a woman dominated the male-dominated society and led a party of feudals. This status was not ‘granted’ by anyone but she earned it through a hard-fought struggle against the military dictatoriship of Gen Zia.

This position she achieved not because of being a woman but on the strength of exteraordinary qualities as a person. That is why her illustrious father preferred her, amongst his children, to carry on his legacy.

Abdul Khalique Junejo

Karachi

Published in Dawn, April 26th, 2018