The silence of the Pakistani government in the face of increasing aggression against women is shameful, an editorial in The Dawn said on the occasion of International Women's Day on Tuesday.
Highlighting the opposition that the 'Aurat March' (Women's March) faces from radical Islamist organisations, the editorial said that it has become clear there is no tolerance for women collectively demanding their rights in such a visible and inclusive way, even when they do so entirely peacefully.
Earlier, Pakistan's opposition party Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) voiced its opposition to the Aurat March, a women's rights movement in Pakistan saying it was against the norms of society and Islam.
This came after other parties like Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) and the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) which are at loggerheads, also come together to oppose the 'Aurat March'.
The editorial further attacked the hypocrisy of Imran Khan's PTI which had criticised the regressive elements of the society while not in power.
"Clearly, the women were useful for political point-scoring at the time; otherwise, regressive elements can incite violence against them at will and face no consequences," the editorial said.
The editorial went on to talk about the misogynistic heart of Pakistani society, saying that "despite all the 'pro-women' laws that have been enacted over the last few years, their rights in actual practice remain circumscribed by narrow mindsets and hidebound tradition."
Notably, since the Imran Khan government came to power in August 2018, Pakistan's Global Gender Gap Index has worsened over time. In 2017, Pakistan ranked 143, slipping to 148 in 2018.
According to the last year's 'Global Gender Gap Report 2021', Pakistan ranked 153 out of 156 countries on the gender parity index, that is, among the last four.
The country has become more conservative since Imran Khan came to power. Islamist parties such as TLP and Jamaat-e-Islami, among others, are feeling emboldened and have gained more popularity across the country in the last three years, spreading harsher versions of Islam, especially targeting women and minorities.
In addition, the Taliban's forceful takeover of Afghanistan last year and the subsequent increase in violence against women under the Sharia Law has further exacerbated fears among women in Pakistan.
( With inputs from ANI )
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