NATIONAL ASSEMBLY PROCEEDINGS: WOMEN PARLIAMENTARIANS FACE-OFF TO INSULT IN NA

April 8, 2004 – (The Daily Times) Women parliamentarians from the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-QA) said that the important debate on a bill protecting women’s rights in the National Assembly on Tuesday had not been given proper coverage on PTV.

“We discussed an important issue pertaining to women’s rights in the country for the first time in the house, but the men sitting at the helm of affairs in PTV just blacked out the whole proceedings,” said Kashmala Tariq of the PML-QA on a point of order on Wednesday. “It is sheer discrimination by the PTV authorities.”

The women parliamentarians criticised their own party members on Wednesday against what they claimed was “discrimination being meted out to the female parliamentarians by their own government.” They voiced their concerns on the floor of the house regarding the lack of female representation in the federal cabinet and that no importance was given to their views in the ranks of their own party. The female parliamentarians from the ruling coalition also protested at certain remarks made by their colleagues from the treasury benches.

National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain asked Federal Water and Power Minister Aftab Sherpao, in the absence of Information Minister Sheikh Rashid, to explain why due coverage was not being given to the discussion on women’s rights. Mr Sherpao promised the speaker that an investigation would be made into the issue. He also assured the house that the government was not following a policy of discrimination against women.

Ms Tariq said that contrary to the coverage of a very serious women’s issue, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid had been shown for more than five minutes on PTV. “The government high ups do not take us seriously and nobody heeds our views in our party and elsewhere,” she said.

Ms Tariq addressed the ministers’ row and asked, “Can the champions of women’s rights explain how many women they have inducted into the cabinet?”

Riaz Hussain Pirzada of the National Alliance, also from the treasury bench, said that the report about the bill for women’s rights was shown on PTV in the main news bulletin at 8pm on Tuesday night. “Besides the general crux of the story, Ms Kashmala’s pretty face was also shown on the PTV screen,” he said. Another treasury member Rashid Akbar Khan Niwani joined Mr Pirzada and said that due coverage was given to the discussion on the issue and he repeated Mr Pirzada’s remarks about Ms Tariq.

Ms Kashmala took serious note of these remarks. “It is not my fault if someone does not have an attractive face like mine,” she said. “But it is not a matter of having or not having a pretty face. This is a serious issue. It is because of the non-serious attitude of our colleagues that no one now bothers to listen to our voice, both inside and outside our party.”

Nilofar Bakhtiar, adviser to the prime minister, also voiced support for Ms Tariq and said that due respect should be given to the 73 women sitting in the house. She assured the female legislators the government was giving priority to women’s development.

Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain observed that every member should respect the other, without gender discrimination. “Everyone should refrain from making any remark or using body language which could hurt an other member,” he said and tendered his personal apology to the female lawmakers in his capacity as the custodian of the house.

Chaudhry Aitzaz Ahsan of the PPPP pointed out that it was not provided in the rules that the speaker should apologise for the conduct of the members. “Mr Speaker, it has been observed that you have the tendency to interrupt a lot,” he said. “British Judge Harmin had to resign when it was pointed out that he had interrupted the lawyers in a discussion.”

Speaker Chaudhry Amir Hussain agreed with Mr Aitzaz’s contention but maintained that he would not need to interrupt if the members followed the rules of the house.

From: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_1-4-2004_pg7_23