ISLAMABAD: Pakistan’s new prime minister Friday backed a parliamentary investigation into allegations of sexual harassment leveled by a female lawmaker against firebrand opposition leader Imran Khan, in a scandal that has gripped the conservative country.
The scandal erupted after Ayesha Gulalai, a National Assembly member from conservative Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, accused Khan and other leaders of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party of sending obscene text messages and promoting a culture of sexism.
The accusations come days after Pakistan’s top court disqualified Khan’s long-time political nemesis Nawaz Sharif from the premiership on corruption charges, spurring public celebrations from the cricketer-turned-politician and his supporters.
Newly elected Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, seen as a Sharif loyalist, on Friday backed moves to form a parliamentary committee to investigate the matter after a group of legislators raised the allegations in the house.
“This is an issue concerning the house’s integrity — I will suggest forming a closed-door, special committee to probe the allegations and present its findings in the house,” Abbasi told parliament.
In a televised press conference earlier this week Gulalai accused Khan of harassing female leaders in the PTI and resigned from the party.
“Imran Khan’s list of sins is very long but the way he sends obscene text messages — and the way women and girls are being treated in this party, I will say that the honor of women is not safe, because of Imran Khan and because of the people around him,” Gulalai told reporters in Islamabad.
“I cannot compromise my integrity and that’s why I decided to take this step,” she added.
Gulalai has not released any of the alleged text messages, prompting many in Pakistan to believe the case may be politically motivated.
Khan, along with the PTI’s top brass, batted down the allegations, accusing Sharif’s ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) of using money to defame political rivals.
“I was astonished to hear that. I suspect that the (PML-N) has used her against me,” Khan told broadcaster ARY.
“Do your worst; stoop as low as you can; me & my struggle-hardened party will become ever stronger IA,” Khan wrote on Twitter.
The accusations evoked a social media storm and provoked a debate on sexual harassment in Pakistan, with Khan’s opponents accusing him of promoting Western values while others called for acid attacks targeting Gulalai, according to news reports.
The backlash targeting Gulalai in particular provoked criticism from women’s rights activists, who said the claims should be investigated rather than met with threats of violence, particularly in a country where women have struggled for their rights for decades.
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Pakistan’s new PM backs sexual harassment probe against opposition leader Imran Khan
Pakistan’s new PM backs sexual harassment probe against opposition leader Imran Khan
Taiwan says Chinese drone made ‘provocative’ flight over South China Sea island
TAIPEI: A Chinese reconnaissance drone briefly flew over the Taiwan-controlled Pratas Islands at the top end of the South China Sea on Saturday, in what Taiwan’s defense ministry called a “provocative and irresponsible” move.
Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, reports Chinese military activity around it on an almost daily basis, including drones though they very rarely enter Taiwanese airspace.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said the Chinese reconnaissance drone was detected around dawn on Saturday approaching the Pratas Islands and flew in its airspace for eight minutes at an altitude outside the range of anti-aircraft weapons.
“After our side broadcast warnings on international channels, it departed at 0548,” it said in a statement.
“Such highly provocative and irresponsible actions by the People’s Liberation Army seriously undermine regional peace and stability, violated international legal norms, and will inevitably be condemned,” it added.
Taiwan’s armed forces will continue to maintain strict vigilance and monitoring, and will respond in accordance with the routine combat readiness rules, the ministry said.
Calls to China’s defense ministry outside of office hours on a weekend went unanswered.
In 2022, Taiwan’s military for the first time shot down an unidentified civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast controlled by Taiwan.
Lying roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Pratas are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance — more than 400 km (250 miles) — from mainland Taiwan.
The Pratas, an atoll which is also a Taiwanese national park, are only lightly defended by Taiwan’s military, but lie at a highly strategic location at the top end of the disputed South China Sea.
China also views the Pratas as its own territory.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
Democratically governed Taiwan, which China claims as its own territory, reports Chinese military activity around it on an almost daily basis, including drones though they very rarely enter Taiwanese airspace.
Taiwan’s defense ministry said the Chinese reconnaissance drone was detected around dawn on Saturday approaching the Pratas Islands and flew in its airspace for eight minutes at an altitude outside the range of anti-aircraft weapons.
“After our side broadcast warnings on international channels, it departed at 0548,” it said in a statement.
“Such highly provocative and irresponsible actions by the People’s Liberation Army seriously undermine regional peace and stability, violated international legal norms, and will inevitably be condemned,” it added.
Taiwan’s armed forces will continue to maintain strict vigilance and monitoring, and will respond in accordance with the routine combat readiness rules, the ministry said.
Calls to China’s defense ministry outside of office hours on a weekend went unanswered.
In 2022, Taiwan’s military for the first time shot down an unidentified civilian drone that entered its airspace near an islet off the Chinese coast controlled by Taiwan.
Lying roughly between southern Taiwan and Hong Kong, the Pratas are seen by some security experts as vulnerable to Chinese attack due to their distance — more than 400 km (250 miles) — from mainland Taiwan.
The Pratas, an atoll which is also a Taiwanese national park, are only lightly defended by Taiwan’s military, but lie at a highly strategic location at the top end of the disputed South China Sea.
China also views the Pratas as its own territory.
Taiwan’s government rejects Beijing’s sovereignty claims.
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