LAHORE: Amid widespread denunciation of Punjab Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Rana Sanaullah’s inappropriate remarks about the women who participated in the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s April 29 rally, PML-N chief Shahbaz Sharif on Tuesday apologised and directed the party leaders to avoid such statements in future.

“PML-N President Shahbaz Sharif has directed the party office-bearers and workers to ensure decency and adopt perseverance and endurance while speaking to the opponent parties and they should also avoid using such words which may hurt anybody.

“If anybody is hurt over the comment made by the PML-N leader, I am sorry...” a handout quoted the chief minister as having said.

Responding to the criticism, Rana Sanaullah said his “general statements” were being “unfairly criticised,” DawnNews reported. He, however, refused to apologise and demanded that “Imran Khan should first send an apology to Ayesha Gulalai...”

Other PML-N leaders also distanced themselves from the remarks by Rana Sanaullah, Talal Chaudhry and Abid Sher Ali.

Punjab government spokesperson Malik Ahmed Khan took to twitter to condemn the remarks.

“Be it Abid Sher Ali, Rana Sanaullah, Talal Chaudhry or Imran Khan, I cannot tolerate this as these women are our mothers, sisters and daughters,” Mr Malik said.

“What Rana Sanaullah said was wrong. I condemn that. He should not have said it. What Talal said was wrong. I condemn that. He should not have said it,” the spokesperson said in a TV programme on Monday night.

He, however, shifted the blame to PTI chairman Imran Khan saying the language they (PML-N leaders) used was not the culture of the party but had been introduced by Mr Khan.

Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir Khan voiced his distaste with the remarks on Twitter: “Disrespectful remarks about women are reprehensible, regardless of who utters them.”

PTI: A PTI lawmaker submitted a resolution in the Punjab Assembly demanding the government remove Rana Sanaullah from his post. The party provincial leaders hit back at Rana Sanaullah and also heaped scorn on his family and Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

First to unleash his anger on the PML-N camp was PTI Secretary Information (Punjab) Samsam Bukhari who said, “Rana is as black on the inside as he appears. Rana Sanaullah has a mother, sisters and daughters and must not be so careless with his tongue,” he said in a statement.

Seeking an apology, he advised the “clown from Faisalabad” to learn how to respect women.

At a press conference, Murad Rass (information secretary for central Punjab) also called Rana Sanaullah out. Flanked by women workers and leaders of the party, he sought apology from the provincial minister.

Alia Hamza Malik said the PTI chairman in his speech spoke about women’s role in politics. “Women workers and leaders are vital part of the PTI politics and their role is part of the party manifesto.”

Mussarat Jamshaid Cheema advised Rana Sanaullah to stay quiet, otherwise the PTI women would start exposing Maryam Nawaz Sharif.

Zartaj Gull of the PTI said misogynistic remarks only reflected their mentality.

Later, Sara Ahmad, deputy information secretary, in a letter to the federal ombudsperson, asked her to take notice of Rana Sana’s remarks. “According to her mandate, she can take notice of harassment of women and she must act on these rude remarks,” said Ms Ahmad.

PTI provincial president Abdul Aleem Khan condemned the remarks while speaking to the media at Minar-i-Pakistan, where he had gone to oversee cleaning of the area where his party held a public rally. Even political rivalry had some principles, he said, but these ministers had forgotten all norms of decency.

He said Mian Saheb should be ashamed of such discourse by his associates and take its notice. He said in fact the PML-N was seeing the writing on the wall and was at a sea after seeing a mammoth gathering at Greater Iqbal Park. The PTI leader said he had offered his all-out cooperation for cleanliness at the historic place and “it’s our asset and collective responsibility to take care of it.” He asked the administration to come up with details of work to be done which would be completed at all cost.

Earlier, MPA Mohammad Shoaib Siddique, along with the PTI workers, participated in the cleanliness work.

PPP: Calling both PTI and PML-N out on using “dirty” language against women, PPP Information Secretary Maula Bux Chandio said his party would not tolerate the use of such remarks.

Published in Dawn, May 2nd, 2018