By Staff Reporter
ISLAMABAD: Where the manifest sexual innuendo Imran Khan poked at Maryam Nawaz betrays the degeneration of his cynical toxic masculinity, it also lays bare his personal libidinous frustration that men of his mentality gratify by telling the women, who challenge them socially, sexually, and politically, how “penetrable” they are. Shame. But it must be said.
Even to insult each other, the cuss words most men choose to suggest ravishing each other’s mothers, sisters, and daughters in the most perverted of ways. They take many subtle pleasures out of it. You should be able to catch my drift.
So it’s true. Fancy education, exposure to world’s most civilised societies, rubbing shoulders with the greats of time, and a sizzling career in womanising that also needs virtues like gentlemanship, civility, and respect, cannot change misogynistic mindsets.
Ranting at a public rally in Multan, Khan, probably high, clutched at the podium hard, sucked in some romantic Multani air and tried to say something like this: “Dear Maryam, be careful. You say my name so rapturously that your spouse is going to think you are emotionally cheating on him with me”.
The lewd remark was met with an explosion of cheers from a supercharged crowd that very well understood what Khan meant.
Was it the same crowd that frequents those theatres where Jugatbaaz comedians talk trash about women for three hours to make people laugh. Their juicy puns are punctuated by women making rhythmic jumping, rolling, humping, shaking etc moves to the tunes of Punjabi songs, always sung by women singers. I hope not.
What Khan Sahb’s unbridled tongue did set the social media on fire. Condemnations started pouring in from not only from civil society and his foes, but also from his fans. Social media websites, especially Twitter, were gushing with censures.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan deplored Khan’s remarks, saying: “The former prime minister owes an apology to all women”.
The frequent use of salacious language isn’t just the PTI’s forte. PMLN leaders have also recorded statements they can never be proud of. Maryam Nawaz, in her Sargodha rally, chanted slogans “Imran Chor”, “Imran Chor”, slamming Khan for his performance in his four-year rule. She said Khan destroyed the country economically and morally.
In his reaction, PMLQ leader Chaudhry Shujahat Hussain, on Twitter said: “Someone, who doesn’t have the courage to own his own daughter, cannot possibly honour someone else’s daughter”.
“When a person’s frustration peaks, they resort to abusing and raving and taking cheap and red-light area jibes,” Shujaat said in another tweet.
The PMLN also has its share of what Chaudhry Shujaat is talking about.
Rana Sanaullah, the present Minister for Home Affairs, had once said, “We know where the women dancing during the PTI’s Lahore rally came from”. He was alluding that those women were the dancing girls from the red-light district. Let’s face it.
What would be the moral impact of these shameful public transactions taking place between political icons on society?
This unfortunate decadence of national leaders’ public demeanor is giving rise to a sick new political pop culture.
So it goes without saying that by the next elections, we might be seeing both political parties hitting the new lows of the precedents their leaders have set now. And there will be blood too. It is now being seriously feared.
The Election Commission of Pakistan should now give a serious thought to formalising a strict code of conduct before scheduling an election, which could deter the acts of political violence, which are mostly spurred after slogan-shouting against each other’s leaders turns into swearing and then it’s one angry mob versus the other. Hooliganism comes next. Private property is vandalised. Vehicles parked in public go up in smoke. Sometimes human lives are also lost. You see how far-reaching impacts a teensy racy joke can have. All you need is an ‘ass’ to turn laughter into slaughter. And painting black and white stripes onto an ass will not make it a zebra. Or will it?
After Khan’s suggestive slur in Multan, changes of political violence breaking out between PTI and PMLN followers are more than real, especially with a general election around the corner.
Maryam’s cohorts might try to teach Khan a lesson by targeting him with opportunistic violence.
Was Khan talking about this plot?
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