The decision by a jirga in a tehsil in the Bajaur district of the former FATA to bar the entry to women to recreational spaces reeks of a medievalism that is sadly alive and well in many parts of the country. What makes it worse is that the jirga was convened and organised not by some friends group up in arms against the state, but by the JUI-F, a member of the current ruling coalition.
This newspaper would not like to fall into the trap of cautioning how developments like these would put Pakistan in a bad light in the international community. Our image in the world is something that we should take seriously but it should not be our very first priority. Our very first priority should be the well-being of the citizens of the republic itself. Even if news of this shameful development weren’t made public and there was no prospect of intentional disrepute, it would still be an absolutely unacceptable situation.
Women make up half the country. To deny them the right to go out of their homes barring travel and the most serious of emergencies, is to deny them their humanity itself. The fight against obscurantism is a long slog we have ahead of us. From leading Muslim armies in the Arab world, to playing pivotal roles in local history, like the Malala of Maiwand, Razia Sultana and the like, to the current age, we have lived through centuries, yet seem to have gone further back in time.
It is hoped that the local administration and the government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa will intervene and make sure that these claustrophobic restrictions are not imposed on the women of the area. The right to live a full life must be ensured.
