LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman caused a social mediauproar after he said feminism has degraded role of a mother.

In an interview with a private news channel, Khan said: “A mother’sinfluence is immense in a person’s life, specially if it’s a good motherand a mother in every sense of the word. I do not agree with the Westernconcept of feminism. It has degraded role of a mother.”

His comments caused a social media outrage among users and political rivalsalike.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Sherry Rehman said: “Feminism hasredefined women’s lives for exercising choices: legitimised equality as aright, the opportunity of better wages, maternity leave, equal pay, a seatat the table instead of the server-drudge at home or the worker-drone inthe back office. How has it degraded motherhood?”

Awami Workers Party (AWP) leader Ammar Rashid, who will contest againstKhan from NA-53 Islamabad, criticised Imran saying that the “idealpre-feminism mother” is a myth.

“Feminism is simply the first time in history women’s treatment assecondary and subhuman was challenged at a mass level. It is what gavewomen the right to study, to vote, to full citizenship. To forget all thatand dismiss it as ‘degrading motherhood’ is criminally irresponsible,” headded.

In response to Ammar’s tweet, another user Rabia Khan said: “I got into itwith him once. Feminism and the importance of mothers is not mutuallyexclusive. He can’t hold up ‘mothers on a pedestal’ as an excuse todownplay our rights and abilities.”