ISLAMABAD: National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq on Saturday formed a fact-finding committee to probe the matter regarding comments made by MNA Mohammad Iqbal Afridi concerning the attire of a female officer of K-Electric during a meeting of the Power Division a day before on Friday.

The committee would include Senator Azam Nazeer Tarar who is law minister, MNAs Syed Naveed Qamar, Syed Aminul Haq, Malik Mohammad Aamir Dogar and Maulana Abdul Ghafoor Haideri.

A statement issued by the National Assembly Secretariat noted that the committee might also co-opt five women members from parliamentary parties. The committee was directed to submit its report within 15 days.

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In a meeting of the National Assembly Standing Committee on Power on Friday, PTI MNA Mohammad Iqbal Afridi sparked controversy by objecting to the attire of a high-ranking K-Electric official, leading to widespread criticism from fellow lawmakers and political figures.

CEO says remarks by certain individuals in authority were not in line with decorum of elected position

The incident occurred during the committee’s meeting where Afridi objected to the clothing of the female K-Electric representative after she had delivered a briefing and exited the room.

Although Afridi was not a member of the Power Committee, he was in attendance as the lawmaker representing NA-27 (Khyber) to discuss issues related to loadshedding in Karachi and the former Fata region.

Iqbal Afridi described the woman’s attire as “objectionable” and argued that standard operating procedures (SOPs) should be established regarding women’s clothing in official settings. He further asserted that such attire could negatively influence societal norms, particularly the behaviour and perceptions of children.

The committee’s chairman, Mohammad Idrees, who presided over the meeting, later apologised for the incident.

“It was inappropriate to object to her attire,” Idrees said, acknowledging that Afridi’s remarks may have stemmed from a misunderstanding.

Afridi’s comments were met with strong backlash from other political leaders. PPP Senator Sherry Rehman condemned his objection as “regrettable and condemnable,” questioning why male MNAs felt entitled to police women’s clothing.

Minister for Information and Broadcasting Attaullah Tarar also criticised Afridi’s remarks, calling on the PTI to take disciplinary action against him.

Tarar stated that harassment of women was “unacceptable under any circumstances” and described the incident as an example of “PTI’s fascism coming out in the open”.

The incident has sparked a broader conversation on gender equality and the rights of women in professional environments, with many urging political parties to address and prevent such behaviour among their ranks.

Meanwhile, in a statement on X, formerly twitter, K-Electric CEO Moonis Alvi said: “KE was proud of the women whose professionalism and competence drove us to chart new frontiers in a traditionally male-dominated energy sector every day.” “Unfortunately, the recent remarks by certain individuals in authority made about a colleague of ours in their absence are neither in line with the decorum of an elected position nor with the values we hold as a company and should uphold as a society,” he said.

As an equitable, enabling employer, we are committed to breaking the bias and will always stand against any and all forms of discrimination and harassment, Mr Alvi added.

Published in Dawn, August 18th, 2024