ISLAMABAD: Federal Minister for Kashmir Affairs and Gilgit-Baltistan Ali Amin Gandapur on Saturday came under severe criticism for making ‘sexist’ remarks during an election rally in G-B, a video clip of which went viral on the social media.
While addressing a rally at the Shigar valley in the G-B, Gandapur made several sexist remarks targeting Maryam Nawaz during a political gathering. He said that the PML-N’s leader’s “beauty” was "due to the surgeries she underwent using taxpayers’ money".
“She [Maryam] is beautiful, I will speak the truth. But listen to this as well – she spent tens of millions on surgeries during Nawaz Sharif’s two governments, using your tax money to “fix herself,” he remarked.
“This beauty is also because of your [taxpayers’] money,” he added.
Turning towards a charged crowd, Gandapur said that if he “picks anyone from the crowd and spends just a little bit of taxpayer money on them, they would also turn into Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.”
Responding to Gandapur, PML-N’s Rana Sanullah said the “selected lot” is in fear of an unarmed girl.
“A single girl has shaken the entire vote-stealing government”.
He added that one could expect this “dirty mentality” from a “rotten system’s rotten minister”.
“To make personal attacks is proof of their political failure and moral bankruptcy,” said the PML-N leader.
He said that "people with a sick mentality who, steal sugar, wheat and votes have nothing for the people of Gilgit-Baltistan,” he added.
The minister also came under severe criticism on social media, with many users slamming the federal minister for the language he used.
“So a woman takes care of her skin. And that's not okay with Gandapur,” said one, Dr Maha on Twitter.
Another Twitter user named Dr Fauzia, said: “How do people tolerate Amin Gandapur”.
Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Raja Farooq Haider also took to Twitter and said: “Shame on you, Gandapur”.
One, Omar Khan questioned, “I still couldn't understand why Ali Amin Gandapur was chosen to be the face of PTI for GB Election campaign”.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2020