PTI senior leader Fawad Chaudhry and lawyer Imaan Mazari engaged in a Twitter spat over PTI Chairman Imran Khan’s interview on Afghan girls’ education, a clip of which has gone viral on social media.
In a recent interview with international media, Imran Khan was questioned whether he would ask the Taliban running Afghanistan today to let the girls go to school.
He responded by saying that he knows Afghan character much more than anyone else in the West. “They don’t like being told what to do,” Imran Khan said. He then urged the world to engage with the Taliban, stressing that only then the group will listen to them.
Imran Khan’s response has gained a lot of attraction as it has divided opinions. Some stated that Imran Khan’s view is no different than the incumbent government’s since Foreign Minister Bilawal Bhutto too urged the international community to engage the Taliban. Meanwhile, critics of Imran Khan accused him of being against girls’ education.
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Imaan Mazari, who is also the daughter of PTI leader Shireen Mazari, had a similar view. While sharing the video clip of Imran Khan’s interview, Imaan Mazari slammed Imran Khan.
“He isn’t called Taliban Khan for nothing. Called Osama Bin Laden a “shaheed” on the floor of the assembly, blamed women’s clothing for increasing incidents of sexual violence, and even today, he does not have the courage or clarity to say girls have a right to education,” Imaan Mazari said.
He isnt called Taliban Khan for nothing. Called OBL a "shaheed" on the floor of the assembly, blamed women's clothing for increasing incidents of sexual violence, and even today, he does not have the courage or clarity to say girls have a right to education… https://t.co/fPT9OHAHgz
— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) March 25, 2023
Needless to say, Imaan Mazari’s criticism did not sit well with PTI leaders. Fawad Chaudhry lambasted Imaan Mazari and said that Imran Khan has always supported women’s education and called her out for an “irrelevant idiotic statement.”
“Imran Khan always maintains that change comes within. Pseudos like yourself advocate enforced change of culture, this doesn’t work. Imran Khan always supported women’s education, however at a time when PTI workers are facing a crackdown, you have opted for an irrelevant idiotic statement,” Fawad Chaudhry said while censuring Imaan Mazari.
Imaan Mazari again hit back and said,” Pseudos like myself have consistently raised our voices against human rights violations, irrespective of who is at the receiving end. Something maybe you and your party should learn from. One can condemn a crackdown whilst also condemning anti-women statements of Imran Khan. I am not in the cult you’re a part of.”
"Pseudos" like myself have consistently raised our voices ag/ HR violations, irrespective of who is at the receiving end. Something maybe u & ur party shd learn from. One can condemn crackdown whilst also condemning anti-women statements of IK. I am not in the cult ur a part of. https://t.co/w4Q8j2O9qv
— Imaan Zainab Mazari-Hazir (@ImaanZHazir) March 25, 2023
PTI leader Dr Shahbaz Gill also jumped into the argument and defended Imran Khan and accused Imaan Mazari of creating a “petty debate.”
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“He clearly said that girls have a right to education. He is the one who actually promoted girls’ education by providing double the amount of stipends for girls’ students. In this interview, he talked about a complex international relation issue and you are trying to make this international relations thing into a petty debate,” Dr Shahbaz Gill said.
He clearly said that girls have a right to education. He is the one who actually promoted girls education by providing double amount of stipends for girls students. In this interview he talked about a complex IR issue and you are trying to make this IR thing into a petty debate. https://t.co/sDUKjbNwOs
— Dr. Shahbaz GiLL (@SHABAZGIL) March 25, 2023