You would think that an Oxford graduate with a considerable amount of exposure and awareness would have a better understanding of the world. Unfortunately, that is not the case with our Prime Minister.
On 21st June 2021, in an interview with HBO Axios, the Prime Minister stated that raising temptation in a society leads to acts of sexual violence. When asked whether he thinks that women’s clothes have anything to do with it, the PM resorted to a very ignorant reply:
“A woman wearing very few clothes will have an impact on men unless they are robots”.
Such a comment is problematic on many levels. Not only does this imply that the victim is somehow responsible for the crime committed against them, but it also validates the actions of rapists; normalizing the behavior of men who commit sex crimes while reducing the rest of the men to mere machines. In a country where half of the population suffers on the account of patriarchy, such statements aggravate the already alarming levels of misogyny in society.
Khan failed to mention how dangerous the desires or “temptations” of these men are since they threaten anything in close proximity; be it women, children, animals, or even dead bodies. His failure to recognize rape as a crime solely based on lack of accountability and unstable power dynamics resulted in him receiving a lot of backlash on social media. It is not surprising that many individuals who associate harassment with the way a woman is dressed deemed this criticism unnecessary and viewed it as a personal attack on Imran Khan, proving yet again the damaging impact of an irresponsible remark. Being a populist leader, there is no denying that this proclamation rendered the premier a noble character among these groups.
Furthermore, femicide in the country is a pressing concern. Incidents as barbaric as the Noor Mukkadam murder case began making the news. From Quratulain to Noor to Saima bibi, such events left the nation shook and anger grew among the masses as new cases surfaced every other day. Under these circumstances, government officials and the Prime Minister remained silent, leaving the nation feeling helpless.
Meanwhile, Imran Khan continued to plant trees as if the women of the country were going to magically survive the violence against them, considering how oxygen deprivation suddenly became a bigger concern. To make matters worse, the domestic violence bill was also rejected during this time.
Amidst all the chaos, in a recent interview with PBS News Hour, Khan said that only the rapist is to blame for the crime that is committed and never the victim. This abrupt change in stance came as a surprise to the public. Hiding under the umbrella of “cultural imperialism”, he claimed that his words were taken out of context. However, in what context is it acceptable to compare men, living, breathing human beings, to robots, and justifying this comparison by saying they have no control over themselves.
While the unexpected change of his stance does convey a positive message, it seems nothing more than a publicity stunt to wipe the slate clean. It appears to be a calculated political move given the general public outrage. This is a rather fine way to gain sympathy when the government fails to serve otherwise.
Whatever the intention behind this change in opinion, any kind of hope was short-lived as the declaration was soon followed with some more problematic comments. Once again, Khan resorted to undermining the violence, abuse, harassment, and trauma that Pakistani women go through. When addressing the nation, the PM stated, “I can say, after going all over the world, this society gives more respect and dignity to women”. Keep in mind, he is talking about the sixth most dangerous country for women to live in. Seems like Mr. Prime Minister needs a fact check.
It is important to understand that being the Prime Minister of a country comes with great responsibility and delivering such apathetic statements is a luxury that the Prime Minister of a country cannot (and should not) enjoy.
As a leader, the least that Khan can do is to watch what he says. Being a blatant rape apologist, blaming victims, and refusing to recognize the ongoing gender-based violence are not the characteristics upon which the foundation of “Riyast-e-Madinah” can be laid.
Though Khan’s recent statements about the Noor Mukkadam case seem promising, the nation needs more than just words. The public shouldn’t have to beg for justice every time misfortune strikes. Justice should be served whether a case catches media attention or not. There should be laws that protect women and the implementation of these laws should be ensured by the government regardless of whether an issue makes it to the top trends on Twitter.
Nonetheless, at this point, the Prime Minister’s statements appear as bare minimal effort. Too little, too late.