After PTI Chairman Imran Khan on Friday evening issued an objectionable statement against PML-N Vice President Maryam Nawaz during his Multan address, politicians, journalists, and civil society members have censured Khan for his “sexist and misogynist” comments.
During his jalsa, Khan, referring to Maryam’s Sargodha rally on May 19 in which she continually berated him, said: “Someone had sent me the speech delivered by Maryam Nawaz in Sargodha yesterday.”
“In that speech, she uttered my name with such passion that I would like to tell her: Maryam, please be careful, your husband may get upset because you were constantly repeating my name.”
Following his comments, condemnations started pouring in from politicians and civil society members on social media.
PM Shehbaz Sharif
Taking to Twitter, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, who also happens to be Maryam’s paternal uncle, expressed strong disapproval of Imran Khan’s statement and said that the entire nation, especially women, should strongly condemn the “deplorable language used against the daughter of the nation Maryam Nawaz.”
بیٹی مریم نواز شریف کے خلاف قابل افسوس زبان درازی پر پوری قوم خاص طور پر خواتین پرزور مذمت کریں۔ کم ظرفی کے اظہار سے ملک وقوم کے خلاف آپ کے جرائم چھپ نہیں سکتے۔ مسجد نبوی کی حرمت و ناموس کا پاس نہ کرنے والوں سے ماؤں، بہنوں، بیٹیوں کی عزت وتکریم کی کیا توقع ہوسکتی ہے۔
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) May 20, 2022
“Your crimes against the country and the nation cannot be hidden under your lowly humour. How could those — who cannot respect the sanctity of Masjid Nabawi (PBUH) — be expected to respect the honour of someone’s mothers, sisters, and daughters?”
He continued: “Imran is the first person in history to fall into this abyss of rudeness as the leader of a party. His party went out to make a nation but spoiled the morals of the people instead. To Allah, we belong and to Him, we shall return.”
Asif Zardari
Censuring Khan for his statement against the PML-N vice president, former president Asif Ali Zardari said that he condemned the derogatory language used by the PTI chairman.
“Those who have mothers and sisters in their homes do not use such language against other women,” the PPP co-chairman said. “Please, do not stoop so low in the name of politics.”
He added that every person’s mother, sister, and daughter was worthy of respect and that was the message of Shaheed Benazir Bhutto to the nation.
“I wish someone would also write a letter to the chief justice of Pakistan based on personal observation and he would take notice of the matter,” he said.
Marriyum Aurangzeb
Federal Information Minister Marriyum Aurangzeb, taking to Twitter, also condemned Khan’s statement and said that the coalition government was trying to save the mothers and daughters of Pakistan from “this evil.”
مریم نواز شریف سے سیاسی میدان میں ہارنے والے کا کم ظرفی اور دشنام طرازی پر اتر آنا اعتراف شکست ہے۔ چوک چوراہوں پر جملے کستے کردار آئینی مناصب پر بیٹھے، یہ ہے معاشرے کا زوال۔
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) May 20, 2022
“These are the same people who want to silence women journalists by calling them sell-outs [when they criticise their parties],” she said.
Sharjeel Memon
Reacting to the incident, PPP leader Sharjeel Memon said: “Imran Niazi’s remarks about Maryam Nawaz are highly condemnable. This shows his training and his dirty mindset.”
Imran Niazi’s remarks about maryam nawaz are highly condemnable. This shows his training and his dirty mindset.
— Sharjeel Inam Memon (@sharjeelinam) May 20, 2022
Farhatullah Babar
Ex-senator Farhatullah Babar stated: “What an embarrassment the former PM is. Touching new lows. Falling freely into the bottomless pit.”
What an embarrassment the former PM is. Touching new lows. Falling freely into bottomless pit pic.twitter.com/lYafxhwVAS
— Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) May 20, 2022
Mehr Tarar
“Imran Khan’s comment on Maryam Nawaz is in utterly bad taste, something he should never have said about anyone anywhere. And I condemn it without resorting to any whataboutery,” wrote journalist Mehr Tarar.
Imran Khan’s comment on Maryam Nawaz is in utterly bad taste, something he should never have said about anyone anywhere.
— Mehr Tarar (@MehrTarar) May 20, 2022
And I condemn it without resorting to any whataboutery.
Cyril Almeida
“They don’t adore IK despite this stuff, they adore IK because of this stuff…” senior journalist Cyril Almeida said.
They don’t adore IK despite this stuff, they adore IK because of this stuff…
— cyril almeida (@cyalm) May 20, 2022
Rehman Khan
Journalist and former wife of the PTI chairman, Rehman Khan, wrote on Twitter: “I am very ashamed that I was ever associated with such a bad man.”
She also praised Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s politeness and condemned the “rudeness of a 70-year-old man.”
مجھے اس بات پر شدید شرمندگی ہے کہ میں کبھی ایسے گھٹیا آدمی سے منسلک تھی۔ @BBhuttoZardari جیسے نوجوان کی شائستگی دیکھیں اور ایک 70 سال کے بوڑھے کی بدتہذیبی کو دیکھیں۔
— Reham Khan (@RehamKhan1) May 20, 2022
نہ اپنے گھر کی عورت کی عزت نہ کسی اور گھر کی عورت کی عزت۔
“He neither respects the woman of his own house nor the women of others’ houses.”
Adil Shahzeb
Journalist Adil Shahzeb wrote that it was a matter of “shame” for IK to utter such words against a female politician.
“This person does not know the value of mother, sister and daughter. He cannot own his biological daughter but lectures the nation about establishing the state of Madinah in Pakistan.”
اس شخص کو قطعا یہ نہیں پتہ کہ ماں بہن بیٹی کی کیا عزت ہوتی ہے۔ اپنی بایالوجیکل بیٹی کو اون نہیں کر سکتا لیکن لیکن قوم کو لیکچر ریاست مدینہ کا۔ آپ کی ان حرکتوں پر کونسا صحافی خاموش رہ سکتا ہے؟ @ImranKhanPTI shame on you pic.twitter.com/rY1JXWZ3Yy
— Adil Shahzeb (@adilshahzeb) May 20, 2022
