Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Khan Gandapur has once again come under fire for making sexist and violent remarks against Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Vice President Maryam Nawaz.
Taking a jibe at Maryam, Gandapur said: “You [Maryam] have spent Rs80 million [tax payers] money on surgery. I will unmask your real face before the public by removing [cosmetic surgery].”
“We will slap you in the face so much that your real face will be revealed to everyone,” Gandapur said.
This isn’t the first time Gandpur made such remarks. In November last year, Ali Amin Gandapur had claimed that Maryam Nawaz “owes her beauty to cosmetic surgeries performed at the expense of taxpayers”.
Speaking at a public gathering, the lawmaker went on a sexist tirade against the PML-N vice president. He said the PML-N leader became “beautiful” by spending tax money on her alleged plastic surgeries.
Twitterati reacted to Gandapur’s sexist and misogynist remarks.
PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif tweeted, “His [ Ali Amin Gandapur’s] words are not only violent but also deeply misogynist. Just imagine that people with this mindset have been given the responsibility to govern a country of 220 million people.”
“Govt’s claims of its ‘commitment’ to women’s human rights and equality will ring hollow What’s worse is that Gandapur is a serial offender and has made such statements before as well with impunity,” says lawyer Reema Omer.
Social Activist Jibran Nasir tweeted, “Prime Minister Imran Khan endorses it & encourages it. About time everyone stops making excuses for PM that he isn’t surrounded by the right people or he is ill-advised.”
A Twitter user tweeted, “What are the odds that this is sheer unfiltered hate against women?”
Meanwhile, the official Twitter account of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) shared a clip where lawmaker Maleeka Bokhari said, “The language used by Maryam Nawaz for the elected Prime Minister and PTI representatives is reprehensible.”
“It is not possible for you [Maryam Nawaz] to criticise and then play the women’s card,” added Bokhari.
Minister of State for Climate Change Zartaj Gul tweeted, “Rich of an infamous misogynist Shehbaz Sharif and his abusive deputies who falsely claim PTI encourages such an approach. The track record of the Sharif family is horrific in terms of attacks on women. & Maryam Safdar has actually promoted those who have engaged in openly abusing women!”
