Last night a video began circulating on social media that shows PML-N politician Talal Chaudhry making some inappropriate comments about Special Assistant to PM on Information Firdous Ashiq Awan.
While commenting on the state of the nation he said: “This is the kind of tabdeeli … if Baji Firdous Ashiq Awan got her face washed, the way her real looks would emerge from behind her makeup… she would appear as Firdous Khan instead. This is also the real face of this tabdeeli.”
Chaudhry obviously intended to criticise Firdous Ashiq Awan’s looks by comparing her to a ‘man’, the implication being that anything other than a narrow definition of femininity is abhorrent. The lawmaker apologised on Twitter soon after the backlash started, writing that his intention was never to degrade anyone and “if what I said was inappropriate, then I’m sorry about that.”
That said, what is the need to make insulting remarks of a personal nature targeting any public figure, be it man or woman?
Thankfully, many have called out Chaudhry’s remarks.
Some also pointed out how just a few days ago, following an iftar called by leaders of all opposition parties, people began making sexist jokes linking Maryam Nawaz to Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.
It appears that the practice of demeaning female public figures is the only belief that unites people across party lines.
