EYEBROWS were raised when Punjab Information and Culture Minister Fayyazul Hassan Chohan was reinstated to his position in December. Last March, the PTI announced that the provincial government had removed the minister from his post following derogatory remarks he had made about a religious minority. Nonetheless, the generous of spirit believe in second chances, and Mr Chohan was given one to redeem himself with. He instead chose to squander that opportunity by directing his vitriolic tongue at an even more vulnerable group of people. Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, the minister claimed that people who engage in panic buying and hoarding during the COVID-19 pandemic will be ‘punished’ by God by bearing offspring with disabilities. Such a regressive and damaging statement, rightly slammed by many including Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari, is utterly unbecoming of a public office-bearer, let alone one responsible for ‘information and culture’. By the same logic, one may ask what the people of Punjab have done to deserve such a minister.

Besides being hurtful to Pakistanis (adult and children alike) with disabilities, and their loved ones, Mr Chohan is misinformed to believe that disability is a divine curse. Disability can affect anyone, at any time in life and due to any number of reasons. At a time when the public is fraught with anxiety, the last thing this society needs is for its leaders to display callousness and lack of empathy for others. This is not our ‘culture’. In fact, our culture demands that we call on each other to work collectively and ensure the most vulnerable among us — including people with disabilities — are supported in these difficult times. German Chancellor Angela Merkel recently displayed such leadership when, instead of haranguing people by unleashing a volley of abuse at the ‘sinners’ among us, she spoke of the need for “solidarity and reason”. Mr Chohan may have offered a token apology for his latest bilious statement, but it seems that he still falls short of demonstrating the kind of moral leadership this country needs right now.

Published in Dawn, March 20th, 2020