CJP apologizes for sexist remarks

The highest authority in judiciary, Chief Justice of Pakistan (CJP) Mian Saqib Nisar, was made to apologize for his sexist remarks against women.

On Wednesday, the CJP apologized publically for his remarks saying that he is sorry “if his recent remarks in Karachi hurt someone’s feelings”.

The chief justice, in a recent speech in Karachi, had told participants: “Don’t think I’ve written a long speech. I was always told, ‘a speech should be like a woman’s skirt. It should not be too long that one loses one’s interest. Neither should it be too short that it doesn’t cover the subject’. So I will be adhering to that principle.”

Nisar had quoted the former UK Prime Minister Winston Churchill but he ended up infuriating a number of people, including women rights groups.

These controversial remarks were made by Nisar during a case hearing related to Karachi’s tax in the Supreme Court. However, he later clarified that his intention was not to hurt anyone’s feelings.

Chief Justice Nisar observed that he used Churchill’s quote as a reference.

“Women represent half of our society. Attempts were made to turn the matter into an issue on social media,” the chief justice remarked during the hearing.

In an open letter on Tuesday, the Women’s Action Forum (WAF) had asked Chief Justice Nisar to ‘issue a public apology to the women of Pakistan’ for his remarks.

“The WAF Karachi, through this letter, calls on you to issue a public apology to the women of Pakistan; recognise the rampant sexism and under-representation of women in the legal profession and judiciary; and take immediate steps to provide a harassment-free environment for women in the profession and those who engage with it,” the statement read.

The WAF statement emphasised that “it is disheartening and disappointing for women to hear such sexist remarks from the highest-ranking judicial official of the country”.

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Posted by fatimaarshad on Jan 24 2018. Filed under Latest News, Pakistan. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.