‘Human rights and women rights are different’: PM Khan

Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan during his address at the 17th extraordinary session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) said that human rights and women’s rights are different.

“We must understand that when we talk about human rights, every society is different, every society’s idea of human rights and normal rights is different,” said PM Khan.

“The Pakhtunkhawan province, which borders Afghanistan because the culture is similar because there the Taliban are predominantly the Pashtun movement and there are more Pashtuns on our side of the border,” said the premier, adding, “The city culture is completely different from the rural culture.”

“Culture in Kabul was always different to culture in rural areas. Just like in Peshawar it is completely different from the culture to the district adjoining the Afghanistan border,” said the prime minister.

“I will give you an example. We give stipends to the girl’s child parents to put the girls in school but in tribal districts or districts adjoining Afghanistan, if we are not sensitive to the cultural norms of those people, even with stipends they will not send the girls to school,” said the premier.

“But if we are sensitive to their cultural norms, without stipends they are willing to send their girls to school,” said PM Khan adding, “So this sensitivity I am afraid when we are talking about human rights and women’s rights we have to be sensitive about this.”

PM Khan’s words received some criticism online.

IRO @ImranKhanPTI
Extremely disappointing: telling #OIC that basic human rights can be compromised for cultural sensitivities. Normalising Taliban’s misogyny+bigotry in the name of culture is shocking.#LetAfghanGirlsLearn
https://t.co/m1a5elGLru

— Ziauddin Yousafzai (@ZiauddinY) December 19, 2021

One thing I have learnt during 2 decades of my work experience it is the high demand for education (for both girls and boys) by households across Pakistan. What extremists (including the violent ones) demand is NOT what people want. Stop showcasing Taliban ideology as “culture”! https://t.co/HtFAuKEz3q

— Raza Ahmad Rumi (@Razarumi) December 20, 2021

Culture must never B made an excuse 2 squash fundamentalrights of ppl.Sadly its used by some western & eastern policymakers 2 compromise on women's rights when dealing w/ extremists.A truly sovereign democratic nation can never B realised w/out rights 4 women #LetAfghanGirlsLearn https://t.co/6g9wnmn7Xp

— Munizae Jahangir (@MunizaeJahangir) December 20, 2021

Remember @Malala – the #Pashtun girl who won Nobel Peace Prize for her work for education and nearly got killed for her this human right by the hands of the Taliban!
CC: @ImranKhanPTI https://t.co/sEqFiZrSRR

— Bashir Ahmad Gwakh (@bashirgwakh) December 19, 2021

Truly shocking to hear PM Khan enable and mansplain Taliban brutality in forcing Afghan girls out of school, as "tribal culture". https://t.co/Avl1zQfr5P

— Suhasini Haidar (@suhasinih) December 20, 2021