IN the patriarchal and often perverse view of many Pakistani politicians, women are mere puppets whose use lies primarily in inflating their own egos and political point-scoring. The recent sexist remarks by former federal ministers Fawad Chaudhry and Moonis Elahi are proof of this tendency to objectify women in the pursuit of political interests. Former PTI minister Fawad Chaudhry recently described the new Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Hina Rabbani Khar as a “low-IQ woman” and as someone whose claim to fame lay in her personal accessories, including her handbag and sunglasses. Fortunately, Mr Chaudhry, was immediately called out for this truly appalling statement by social media users, including his own party’s supporters, who condemned his misogynistic behaviour and demanded that the former minister apologise. Indeed, using such offensive language for Pakistan’s first woman foreign minister — and one whose performance in office has been lauded — belittles his own standing as a senior member of the former government and his party.

Meanwhile, PML-Q’s Mr Elahi asked women MPAs to present his political opponent Punjab chief minister-elect Hamza Shehbaz with a vanity kit — associated with cosmetics. Such behaviour is uncouth and unbecoming of political leaders who are supposed to lead by example. It is troubling that over the years, this tendency has become even more entrenched in Pakistan’s national discourse, dragging the political conversation to a new low. From the character assassination of Benazir Bhutto by her political rivals, to Gen Pervez Musharraf’s insulting statements regarding rape survivors, to PML-N leader Nawaz Sharif’s remarks running down PTI’s women supporters, all political entities, it seems, have been guilty of denigrating the status of women in politics and society. Patriarchy and chauvinism run deep in Pakistani society. And when those who promise to rescue the country from its socioeconomic mess themselves possess regressive mindsets that are all too often reflected in crude language, we can only take their views on ‘progress’ with a pinch of salt. They should learn some manners.

Published in Dawn, April 24th, 2022