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Imran blames women's clothes for rising rapes in Pakistan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan continues to blame women and what they wear for the rising incidents of rape in his country.

In a recent interview with ‘Axios on HBO’, the Pakistan PM again said that, "If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have an impact on the men, unless they are robots. It’s just common sense."

Khan has come in for intense criticism for his sexist view that has sparked off major outrage on social media with opposition political parties and the media slamming him for his utterances.

"Disappointing and frankly sickening to see PM Imran Khan repeat his victim-blaming regarding reasons for sexual violence in Pakistan," tweeted Reema Omer, Legal Advisor, South Asia, International Commission of Jurists, reported India Today.

However, Dr Arslan Khalid, focal person to the PM on digital media, called it "selective and out of context tweeting".

"Again selective and out of context tweeting of what he actually said by subtracting the part where he talked about what kind of society we live in and about the sexual frustration in the society," Dr Arslan Khalid tweeted.

A few months ago, the cricketer-turned-politician had said that vulgarity was to blame for the rise in cases of sexual violence in Pakistan.

In an interview on live television, PM Imran Khan said, "This entire concept of purdah is to avoid temptation. Not everyone has the willpower to avoid it."

Meanwhile, human rights groups in Pakistan have accused Imran Khan of being a ‘rape apologist’ after he blamed a rise in sexual assault cases on how women dress.

During a live television interview, he advised women to cover up to prevent temptation.

“In any society where vulgarity is prevalent, there are consequences," he said.

Pakistan is ranked as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for women in terms of safety and equality.

Sexual abuse, so-called ‘honour’ killings and forced marriage are common, and criminal complaints are rarely reported to police, or seriously investigated.

Journalists, especially women scribes, across Pakistan have slammed Khan for his remarks that women's dress code is the real reason or motive for rape.

Earlier, too, Imran had blamed ‘fahashi’ (vulgarity) for rise in rape and sexual violence instead of the deteriorating law and order situation in the country.

Khan, when asked what the government plans to do in the light of rising incidents of rape and sexual violence, especially against children, had said that there are some fights that governments and legislation alone cannot win and that the society must join in the fight. He said it was important for societies to protect themselves against ‘fahashi’ (vulgarity).

The prime minister said incidents of rape and sexual violence that make their way to the media are just one per cent of the actual horrific crimes of such nature that take place.

Khan said when he went to the UK, during the '70s to play cricket, the "sex, drugs and rock n roll" culture was taking off. He said nowadays, divorce rates "have gone up by as much as 70% due to vulgarity in that society".

Official statistics in Pakistan have revealed that at least 11 rape incidents are reported in the country every day, with over 22,000 cases reported to the police in the last six years.

However, only 77 of the accused have been convicted which comprises 0.3 per cent of the total figure. With inputs from ANI, India Today, PTI

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