ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has criticised Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif for his remarks against women participants in the opposition party’s rally held on Friday.

PTI spokesman Fawad Chaudhry released a statement on Saturday, terming the remarks reportedly made by the prime minister as ‘below the level of morality’. He alleged that verbal attacks on women played an active role in the politics of the prime minister, which he silently enjoyed and supported.

“Perhaps the prime minister through his speech has given advice to his daughter Maryam Nawaz to stay away from politics,” he remarked. He said the prime minister should respect the daughters of the nation as he respected his own daughter.

The PTI, the spokesman said, had been saying time and again that vulgar and immoral language in politics was directly being sponsored from the Prime Minister House, and Mr Sharif wanted to stick to the office while setting aside all norms of morality. He said a firm belief in ethics was essentially required for stepping down on account of morality.

The spokesman said that after the Supreme Court, the armed forces had also told the nation that Mr Sharif was ‘dishonest and a liar’.

Cracks in the cabinet had begun to appear, he said, adding that the prime minister’s accountability was inevitable for the integrity and credibility of the country.

PTI members in the National Assembly Asad Umar and Shirin Mazari also demanded an apology from the prime minister for his objectionable remarks.

MNA Umar said in a statement that it had been proved that the premier abhorred women in politics.

Published in Dawn, April 30th, 2017