Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan recently held women’s clothes responsible for the rising instances of sexual violence in the country.
In an interview with ‘Axios on HBO’, the Pakistan PM said: “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they are robots. It’s just common sense.” He further added, “This is cultural imperialism. Whatever is acceptable in our culture, must be accepted everywhere else. It’s not.”
Khan was defending his controversial remarks that he said in April 2021.”…I said the concept of ‘purdah’. Avoid temptation in society. We don’t have discos here, we don’t have nightclubs. It is a completely different society way of life here. So if you raise temptation in society to a point — all these young guys have nowhere to go — it has a consequence in the society,” Khan said.
Social media users and opposition leaders slam Pakistan PM Imran Khan for his misogynistic comments
Khan’s misogynistic comments sparked massive online outrage, with opposition leaders and social media users slamming the Pakistan Prime Minister for blaming women’s dressing for the escalating sexual violence in the country.
Reema Omer, a legal expert with the International Commission of Jurists, expressed her disappointment with Khan’s stance of victim-blaming in cases of sexual violence.
“Disappointing and frankly sickening to see PM Imran Khan repeat his victim-blaming regarding reasons for sexual violence in Pakistan,” she tweeted.
Disappointing and frankly sickening to see PM Imran Khan repeat his victim blaming regarding reasons for sexual violence in Pakistan
— Reema Omer (@reema_omer) June 20, 2021
Men are not “robots”, he says. If they see women in skimpy clothes, they will get “tempted” and some will resort to rape
Shameful!
Author Marvi Sirmed said nothing that Pakistan PM Imran Khan speaks disappoints her anymore. She alleged that it is worrisome that what Khan says has an impact on a large number of his young followers.
Moreover, if you insist on thinking otherwise, it is “cultural imperialism” in PM @ImranIsmailPTI‘s view.
— Marvi Sirmed (@marvisirmed) June 21, 2021
Frankly, nothing that comes from him disappoints me anymore. But the fact that whatever he says impacts a large number of his young followers in Pakistan, is worrisome. https://t.co/nZ7KqG2Ajn
A Twitter user said Khan’s comments on women’c clothing responsible for the sexual violence against them encourages more incidents of assault and rape against women.
I have seen that clip and frankly speaking Imran Khan’s stance on this issue is pathetic. Victim blaming is directly encouraging more r*pes in the society. I am baffled !! https://t.co/ofqHp4Pn0e
— Mateen Ul Waheed (@__mateen) June 21, 2021
Pakistan Muslim League (PML) spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb called Imran Khan a “sick, misogynistic, degenerate” as he lashed out at the Pakistani Prime Minister for his remarks on women’s clothing. “The world got an insight into a mindset of a sick, misogynistic, degenerate & derelict IK. It is not women’s choices that lead to sexual assault rather the choices of men who choose to engage in this dispicable and vile crime,” Aurangzeb tweeted.
The world got an insight into a mindset of a sick, misogynistic, degenerate & derelict IK. Its not women’s choices that lead to sexual assault rather the choices of men who choose to engage in this dispicable and vile CRIME 1/2 pic.twitter.com/lla3WnWFdx
— Marriyum Aurangzeb (@Marriyum_A) June 21, 2021
“Maybe the misogynist, degenerate can defend Paedophiles and murderers, as he advocates for rapist, after all, men cannot be expected to control temptation. Just FYI Mr degenerate, self-control is a little thing upon which Allah places a great premium,” she added.
The cause of sexual violence in Pakistan is because of obscenity, a western import: Pak PM Imran Khan in April interview
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan’s comments on sexual violence came two months after he had made similar comments, alleging that sexual violence was a product of ‘obscenity,’ which he described as a Western import. During the television interview, Khan advised women to cover up to prevent temptation. “This entire concept of purdah is to avoid temptation. Not everyone has the willpower to avoid it,” he said.
In April 2021, during a question and answer session with the public, Khan chalked up the rise in sexual violence in Pakistan, particularly against children, to “fahashi” (vulgarity).
He concluded by reiterating that incidences of rape and sexual violence are “spreading like cancer” in society. Official statistics in Pakistan have revealed that at least 11 rape incidents are reported in the country every day, with over 22,000 cases reported to the police in the last six years.
