The CII’s suggestions

This refers to the news report, ‘Appearance of women in advertisements should be banned: CII draft bill’ (May 27). If there is one issue that unites our clergy, it is definitely the question of the rights and the degree of freedom women enjoy in our society. Sometime back, they opposed the passing of the Punjab Protection of Women against Violence Act 2016 tooth and nail and threatened agitation. One is at a loss to understand the logic of the CII’s draft at a time when the country has been facing tough challenges – both internal and external fronts.

The notion of allowing men to beat their wives ‘lightly’ if they defy them is appalling. That ‘light’ varies from person to person. The draft recommends a ban on coeducation after the primary level. So, we should close all universities. Though the chances of the recommendations getting adopted as a bill are nil, this shows the level of thinking of our so-called clergy that fails to transcend beyond women and the issues concerning them.

Ahsan Altaf Abbasi

Sukkur