Prime Minister Imran Khan sat down for an interview with Jonathan Swan and was asked if women’s dressing has any relation to rise in rape cases.
PM Imran responded, “If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they’re robots. I mean it is common sense.”
Swan rephrased his question for clarification, “But is it really going to provoke acts of sexual violence?”
Khan elaborated, “It depends on which society you live in. If in a society people haven’t seen that sort of thing, it will have an impact [on them]. Growing up in a society like yours, maybe it won’t impact you. This cultural imperialism… Whatever is in our culture must be acceptable to everyone else."
The premier’s controversial remarks sparked outrage on social media, the Twitter users are of the opinion that women’s dressing can’t be blamed for increase in rape cases.
Nidhi Razdan tweeted, “Appalling comments by Pakistan’s Prime Minister @ImranKhanPTI where he blames women for rape because of how they dress. Shame.”
Pakistani singer Meesha Shafi asked PM, “To matlab bachay bhi aurton ke kapron kee wajah se rape ho rahay hain?”
One Twitter user wrote, “Only 3 days after a child was raped by a cleric, Imran Khan chooses to blame "few clothes" worn by women for rape culture. Its not a slip of tongue. Such victim blaming is a consistent position held by IK since the motorway incident last year. Our PM is a rape apologist.”
Another tweeted, “By this logic, the children in madrissas must have the most provocative dressing for them to get abused, molested and raped by the 'religious figures' who aren't robots hence their monstrous acts being justified by our PM. Wow.”
One more user wrote, “how are men not offended when someone says that men are inherently potential rapists? do men lack agency and mental capacity to practice self-control?”
