Imran Khan’s PTI not for women: Ayesha Gulalai

Controversial pictures on Twitter showing Imran Khan in close proximity with female politician Ayesha Gulalai ensured that the cricketer-turned-politician was once again at the heart of a scandal. Gulalai, who was part of Khan’s party — the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — resigned recently, citing its “immoral character”.

In an exclusive interview to WION, Gulalai claimed that harassment of women was widespread in the party. Asked why she joined in the first place, Gulalai said, “Imran Khan came with a vision for Pakistan and when he marched to Waziristan after the drone attacks, I decided to join the PTI.” She was then a member of the late Benazir Bhutto’s Pakistan People’s Party (PPP).

But Gulalai said her admiration of Khan — who she now states is a man who had “psychological problems”— rapidly declined as she experienced “large-scale harassment” of women within the party. And Imran was no exception she said.

“Maybe they (PTI members) think Pakistan is England. At this age, you [Imran] have not been able to reform your habits, maybe you do not have control over your behaviour,” Gulalai was quoted as saying by Dawn.

In her interview with WION, Gulalai claimed that she was not alone in facing harassment within the …read more