PTI leaders jump to PM Imran Khan's defence after his comments linking temptation to women's dressing

ISLAMABAD: Prominent PTI women leaders were quick to come to Prime Minister Imran Khan's defence following the criticism against him on social media for his recent comments linking the way a woman dresses to a man's temptation in an interview with Axios on HBO.

Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul and PTI MNAs Maleeka Ali Bokhari and Kanwal Shauzab held a press conference Tuesday to tell everyone they misinterpreted the PM's comments. 

"If a woman is wearing very few clothes it will have an impact, it will have an impact on the men, unless they’re robots. I mean it’s common sense," PM Khan had said when asked if what women wear has any effect on a man's temptation.

He had brushed off accusations against him of rape victim blaming as "nonsense" and said the concept of purdah is to avoid temptation in society. 

"We don’t have discos here, we don’t have nightclubs, so it is a completely different society, way of life here, so if you raise temptation in society to the point and all these young guys have nowhere to go, it has consequences in the society," PM Khan had said.

Imran Khan is a symbol of women's empowerment: Zartaj Gul

In her show of support for PM Khan, Gul said the PTI government mobilised women for the first time in Pakistan.

"A woman like me became a member of Parliament from a tribal area," she said, adding that there are five women in the cabinet for the first time.

She expressed the belief that the premier is a "symbol of women's empowerment".

"We are proud of the freedom that religion has given us," Gul said, adding that women's empowerment is not possible without law enforcement.

Disagreeing with Allah's commands if fighting against Imran Khan's statement on women: Kanwal Shauzab

Bokhari, too, spoke about legislation for the protection of women and said legislation has taken strong steps to curb sexual abuse.

"The Prime Minister has set aside Rs100 million in the budget for implementation of the anti-rape law," Bokhari said.

"We are strong women and we have been strengthened by our leader Imran Khan," Bokhari said.

Shauzab, meanwhile, believes that if you are among those who are "fighting" against the premier's statement in his HBO interview, then you are "disagreeing with the orders of Allah".

She said the Prime Minister explained the commands of Allah regarding women.

"We are proud to live in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan," Shauzab said, adding that our society does not accept obscenity.

Liberals are out to get PM Imran Khan: PTI MNA Aliya Hamza Malik

Earlier in the day, another PTI MNA, Aliya Hamza Malik, too, spoke in support of the premier.

Malik believes there was nothing wrong with the premier's statement. She think "liberals" are making a fuss over nothing.

In an appearance on Geo Pakistan on Tuesday, Malik urged the "liberals" to listen to the premier's statement before critiquing it.

She said the premier made a comparison between the East and the West when speaking about rape cases.

PM Khan has made strict laws for abusers, she said, adding that the state is fulfilling its responsibility and it is our job to make strict legislation.

Malik claimed that the way Imran Khan talks about the protection of women and children has never happened before.

"When there was an incident of abuse in a madrassa, the Prime Minister also thought of bringing reforms to the madrassa," she said.

The PTI leader said that even in the motorway rape case, the government had said strict laws need to be made and enforced. She insisted that the liberals are out to get PM Khan.

"The bloody liberals are the ones who violate women's rights the most," she claimed. Malik believes the words of Prime Minister Imran Khan are being taken out of context.