Politician Blames Rise In Sexual Violence On Women 'Wearing Very Few Clothes' In Shocking Interview

Another day, another misogynistic (and wrong) opinion from men we have to put up with.

This time, women (and some men) have been left up in arms thanks to comments by the Prime Minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan.

Khan, who was voted into office in 2018, blamed the victims of sexual assault for wearing "very few clothes" when they're attacked, as opposed to looking at the real issue - rapists themselves.

Discussing sexual assault in Pakistan with CNN journalist Jonathan Swan, Khan simply said: "If a woman is wearing very few clothes, it will have the impact on the men. Unless they're robots. It's common sense."

When Swan, who went viral last year thanks to his interview with former US President Donald Trump, pulled Khan up on his views, Khan added: "It depends what society you live in. In a society, people haven't seen that sort of thing, it will have an impact on them. If you grow up a different society, maybe it won't on you.

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"This cultural imperialism...whatever is in our culture must be acceptable everywhere else. It's not."

As Swan then points out, Khan's opinions are "a bit rich".

Before entering politics, Khan was a world famous cricket player, having led Pakistan to victory in the cricket World Cup in 1992.

Khan enjoyed this popularity at the time, having a reputation for being a confirmed bachelor and enjoying numerous relationships with actors and models. He also regularly endorsed products, which often saw him posing topless.

CNN)

When Swan reiterates this to Khan, he simply responded: "This is not about me."

Khan's comments came under fierce criticism both in Pakistan and across the globe.

Many Pakistani feminist groups hit back at Khan, saying that many children - some babies - have been victims of sexual assault and violence.

And to reiterate, a person's outfit does not ever count as consent, and has nothing to do with the assault itself. The reason for rape is rapists.

Sexual assault and violence is a widespread problem in Pakistan.

There are at least 11 rape cases reported in Pakistan every day with over 22,000 rape cases reported to police across the country in the last six years, according to official statistics. However, only 77 accused have been convicted.

If you have been affected by this article, please contact Rape Crisis here.

Topics: News

Kimberley Bond

Kim is a journalist at Tyla, and has previously worked at the Evening Standard, Radio Times as well as several national newspapers. A showbiz obsessive and a television fanatic, Kim is particularly interested in celebrity gossip, A-list events and the latest releases on either the big or small screen. Contact her at [email protected]

@0xKimberley