Imran Khan slammed for misogynistic remarks against Bilawal
The prime minister addressed opposition leader as a woman
ISLAMABAD: Thursday turned out to be yet another stormy day in the National Assembly of Pakistan as Opposition parliamentarians registered a strong protest against Prime Minister Imran Khan for using derogatory words against Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Bilawal Bhutto Zardari a day earlier (Wednesday) during a public meeting in Wana, South Waziristan Agency.
In his address, the prime minister addressed Bilawal as ‘Bilawal Sahiba’ the word ‘Sahiba’ is a mark of respect attributed to women.
In Thursday’s session the PPP members of the National Assembly boycotted the normal proceedings of the assembly and staged a sit-in in front of the Speaker’s chair.
They were chanting slogans calling for the prime minister to come to the Assembly and apologise publicly for ‘insulting’ their leader.
Speaking on a point of order the Opposition MP Dr Nafeesa Shah said her party won’t let the assembly continue its parliamentary business unless the prime minister withdraws his words and apologises.
On the other hand the government ministers and members of the NA are defending Prime Minister Imran Khan saying it was only a slip of tongue and nothing else.
The newly appointed successor to Information Minister Fawad Chaudhry, Special Assistant to PM on Information Ms Firdous Ashiq Awan while talking to media persons said Prime Minister in fact meant to say “Bilawal Sahib” not “Sahiba” and it was an inadvertent mistake and merely a slip of tongue.
In support of her arguments Firdous Awan referred to a number of speeches by the PPP leaders who also called Bilawal Sahiba and Shaheed (martyr). “Prime Minister Imran Khan has deep respect for the political leadership of the country and he never passes any personal remark against anyone,” said she.
This is the second slip of tongue within a week by Prime Minister Imran Khan that has embarrassed his fans and party members and they are facing quite a difficulty in defending him.
A couple days earlier, Prime Minister Imran Khan in Tehran at a joint press conference with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke a great about two border countries “Germany and Japan” that were earlier worst enemies of each other and waged a number of wars but later sanity prevailed and they befriended each other.
In that slip of tongue, Khan instead of referring to Germany and France kept on talking of Germany and Japan and thus caused embarrassment for his delegation and social media trolls to stir in action.
Not only on social media, Pakistan TV talk shows also made that press conference main news of the day and re-telecast Khan’s words.
However, the latest slip of tongue has not only ignited reaction by the PPP workers and leaders, civil society and rights activists have also cried foul saying Imran Khan’s comments about Bilawal show he is misogynistic.
Besides PPP stalwarts Opposition Leader in the National Assembly Shahbaz Sharif and daughter of former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz have also criticised Prime Minister for hurling insults at Bilawal.