'Women on the march'

This is apropos a Business Recorder op-ed "Women on the march" carried by the newspaper yesterday. In my view, the writer, Rashed Rahman, has highlighted the cause of woman emancipation in a highly effective and meaningful manner. His is the most profound argument in relation to the plight of Pakistani women that I've come across so far. He has also exposed the role of major political parties by pointing out that "It is interesting to note the respective attitudes towards the Aurat march of the mainstream political parties. The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf gave its support, but not before Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan had resurrected General Ziaul Haq's retrogressive slogan 'Chadar or char diwari' (Veil and sanctity of home) and condemned unnamed NGOs as working for values repugnant to Islam and our traditional culture. The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz too supported the march with reservations about some of its slogans and demands that in their view transgressed the acceptable according to our social norms. The Pakistan People's Party on the other hand unequivocally and without ifs and buts came out in support of the march."

I commend the writer for appropriately characterizing women's situation in the Pakistani society. There are some formidable impediments to their movement but things have reached a point where no one can reinvent the wheels of history.