While the Taliban are promising the world community that they would not stop education for girls, Pakistani ultra-conservative Prime Minister Imran Khan thinks otherwise.
Addressing the 17th session of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) hosted in Islamabad on Sunday, Khan told the world that they must be sensitive to Afghan culture and societal norms.
“The city culture is completely different from the culture in rural (areas). Kabul's culture was always different from rural areas, just like in Peshawar,” Imran Khan said adding that in tribal culture and tradition, Pashtuns don't send their daughters to schools.
“Every society has a different idea of human rights and women rights. Taliban are predominantly Pashtuns, and their culture is similar to that of Pakistani Pashtun tribes who don’t send their girls to school even when offered stipends,” Khan said.
Watch Video :
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
pic.twitter.com/m1a5elGLru— Ziauddin Yousafzai (@ZiauddinY) December 19, 2021
Khan’s statement has come when Afghan women are out on the streets in Kabul and other parts of the country, asking the Taliban to restore girls education and women rights in the country.
Khan’s comments triggered a massive outrage on social media with several politicians, journalists and netizens expressing anger and disgust against his remark.
Malali Bashir, an Afghan journalist with Azadi Radio, shared video clips where Pashtun men from rural Southern Afghanistan have launched a mission in support of girls’ right to education.
Watch Video : Showing sheer courage, Afghan men in southern Afghanistan organized a bike rally to protest the ban imposed on girl child education by the Taliban
Showing sheer courage, #Afghan men in southern #Afghanistan organized a bike rally to protest the ban imposed on #Girl child education by #Taliban#IndiaNarrative @saadmohseni@asfandyarmir@a_siab pic.twitter.com/AuzIDs6wKs
— INDIA NARRATIVE (@india_narrative) December 6, 2021
In another video clip, in Panjwai, a remote Kandahar people are out supporting girls’ education and human rights.
This is the Punjwaye Dist, is a remote Kandahar but people are supporting @PenPath1 in their compaign for girls education and human rights#PenPathGirlsEduCampaign #PenPathKandahar pic.twitter.com/cCYe1YYbmD
— Matiullah Wesa مطيع الله ويسا (@matiullahwesa) December 19, 2021
Bashir Ahmad Gwakh, a Pakistani journalist reminded Imran Khan of the Nobel Prize winner Malala Yosufzai, a rural Pashtun girl of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province of Pakistan, who fought for her right to education and nearly got killed by the Pakistani Taliban.
Fereshta Kazemi, an Afghan writer wrote on her Twitter post: “Hey Imran Khan, my grandfather General Abdul Barekzai, of Pashtuns of Kabul military & political society, would not let my mother get married after high school; he made sure she went to Kabul University 1st to study physics & chemistry. You know nothing about Pashtuns or Afghan women”.
Pakistani journalist Murtaza Solangi wrote on his post that, “ Imran Khan is nobody to teach Afghans and Pashtuns on either side of the Durand line what their culture is or should be. He better watch the 92 World Cup or look at the promises he made before getting selected.”
This was also Afghanistan. Imran Khan is nobody to teach Afghans and Pashtuns on either side of the Durandline what their culture is or should be. He better watch 92 World Cup or look at the promises he made before getting selected.
A third grader, remains a third grader. pic.twitter.com/fs9EqBUEMl— Murtaza Solangi (@murtazasolangi) December 20, 2021
Former cricketer and flamboyant turned politician Imran Khan is not new to controversies and several of his statements have raised eyebrows across the world. Few months back, Khan was under fire for remarks linking rape to women's attire and western culture and Bollywood.
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