ISLAMABAD: The Women Democratic Front (WDF) said on Friday that the government should not appease the Taliban at the expense of women in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), according to a press release.
WDF President Ismat Shahjahan said that the move of making it compulsory for girls to wear abaya/burqa in educational institutions in KP was part of a well thought out plan, the document stated.
“Why isn’t the burqa rule for girls being implemented in Rawalpindi and Lahore to appease Taliban?” Shahjahan questioned.
She said that this move has come at a crucial time when peace is returning to war-torn areas of Pakistan while US-Taliban talks are also being held in the country. While the international community is blaming us for terrorism and we are facing complete diplomatic isolation, this move shows how the state is trying to win over extremist elements, she added.
The WDF president called upon the government to change its policies in order to end the country’s international isolation. She said that a vast majority of Pakhtun women and girls cover their faces with a veil, therefore, the government drama of making burqa compulsory for them in educational institutions is strange.
Recently, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) District Councillor Muzaffar Shah visited a government girl’s middle school in Rustam area of Mardan district, and distributed burqas among the students. The event received coverage in both the print and the electronic media.
Not long ago, the PTI government in KP has issued notifications to different educational institutions to make burqas compulsory in schools and colleges. The decision was later withdrawn after a public outcry.
WDF President Ismat Shahjahan said that the move of making it compulsory for girls to wear abaya/burqa in educational institutions in KP was part of a well thought out plan, the document stated.
“Why isn’t the burqa rule for girls being implemented in Rawalpindi and Lahore to appease Taliban?” Shahjahan questioned.
She said that this move has come at a crucial time when peace is returning to war-torn areas of Pakistan while US-Taliban talks are also being held in the country. While the international community is blaming us for terrorism and we are facing complete diplomatic isolation, this move shows how the state is trying to win over extremist elements, she added.
The WDF president called upon the government to change its policies in order to end the country’s international isolation. She said that a vast majority of Pakhtun women and girls cover their faces with a veil, therefore, the government drama of making burqa compulsory for them in educational institutions is strange.
Recently, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) District Councillor Muzaffar Shah visited a government girl’s middle school in Rustam area of Mardan district, and distributed burqas among the students. The event received coverage in both the print and the electronic media.
Not long ago, the PTI government in KP has issued notifications to different educational institutions to make burqas compulsory in schools and colleges. The decision was later withdrawn after a public outcry.