The issue was deliberated upon a resolution moved by Rehana Ismail of MMA which the House later adopted unanimously.
The matter drew attention of the members of the House from all political parties who explicitly expressed their views on the matter. The resolution stated that certain hidden forces were active to ruin our traditional family system and social values and which they demonstrated on March 8, the women day.
The resolution noted that slogans inscribed on placards and banners were totally unethical and against the norms of morality, adding the rights enshrined in Islam for womenfolk and minorities were unprecedented.
The resolution recommended the federal government to take the elements on whose behest the protests were carried out to task and evolve a consensual strategy to avert and discourage such gatherings in future which are meant to weaken the basic edifice of our social infrastructure. Earlier, Inayatullah Khan of Jamaat Islami on point of order said that Pakistan came into existence in the name of Islam. He said that recently conducted survey revealed that 98 percent population was in favour of Pakistan as an Islamic country. He said that some Non Government Organizations (NGOs) want to ruin the ideology of the country in the name of modernization.
Supporting the point of order, Leader of Opposition Akram Khan Durrani said that some protests, held on March 8, were totally against Islamic values and our traditions. He said that few months ago women cycle race was scheduled for Peshawar against the traditional norms but later cancelled on resistance of MMA.
He said that such activities would not be allowed in the country and any action against our Islamic and traditional values would strongly be resisted.
Parliamentary Leader of PPP Sher Azam Wazir, Parliamentary Leader of PML-N Sardar Yousaf, Khushdil Khan of ANP, Aisha Bano and Fazle Elahi of PTI and Minister Qalandar Lodhi also spoke over the issue. Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Sultan Muhammad Khan said that women day was observed across the world every year on March 8. He said that being Muslims anything contradictory to Islamic principles would be resisted. He said Islam guarantees unprecedented basic rights to women. He said the matter should not be politicized.
Later, the speaker asked the House to introduce a joint resolution over the matter. Acting upon the Speaker’s directive, MMA’s Rehana Ismail presented the resolution which was adopted unanimously.