Beware! Only covered heads for women who wish to enter the Punjab Civil Secretariat!

In the latest development for Naya Pakistan, apparently, women are now allowed to enter the Minister’s Block at the Punjab Civil Secretariat without covering their head.

Yep, you read that right.

Attention to the issue came after Noor Imran tweeted about her horrendous experience when she and a few of her colleagues went to the Minister’s Block at the Punjab Civil Secretariat in Lahore for a meeting

Noor had another female colleague with her who had a dupatta on and a headscarf as well.

Rant alert: I was refused entry in a government building because I wasn’t wearing a dupatta. 🙂 Refusing me entry was also a head scarf wearing woman (no issues, her choice) who called in a man when I asked why. He said these orders are from the minister I had a meeting with 1/2

— Noor Imran (@NoorImran_) October 17, 2018

But Noor was not wearing either. She had been to the Minister’s block before and had never faced an issue regarding the way she dressed. But on her latest visit, two days ago she was stopped in the checking room by the security and staff of the Minister’s block.

She was told that she would not be allowed to enter without a dupatta. 

She asked them where the rule had come from suddenly since this had never been an issue previously. The security staff told her that this was a new rule at the behest of certain Ministers. Noor was wearing shalwar kameez but had no dupatta with her but her colleague with the headscarf gave her her dupatta so she would be allowed to enter.

According to Noor, she placed the dupatta on her shoulder but apparently, this still was not enough.

The female staff member told her that she would need to cover her head with the dupatta, but since Noor pointed out she had a dupatta on as requested and had had enough with the interaction, she walked off to mild protests by the female staff member.

When she came out of her meeting, she was quite annoyed and tweeted about the entire incident.

Rant alert: I was refused entry in a government building because I wasn’t wearing a dupatta. 🙂 Refusing me entry was also a head scarf wearing woman (no issues, her choice) who called in a man when I asked why. He said these orders are from the minister I had a meeting with 1/2

— Noor Imran (@NoorImran_) October 17, 2018

My colleague with me had a head scarf and a dupatta lent me hers to enter. I threw it on my shoulder and told her to let me go now. She then said, “Cover your head with it”. I was like why? I have a dupatta now! And I walked off. Ily Pakistan, but you make it very hard 2/2

— Noor Imran (@NoorImran_) October 17, 2018

The next day, two of Noor’s female colleagues had to visit the Minister’s block at the Punjab Civil Secretariat again and the same thing happened to them

Both of them had dupattas on but since one of them did not have her head covered, she was barred from entering.

went to the Minister’s Block, Civil Secretariat lhr today coz I heard of this issue that you can’t enter without a dupatta. They refused me too. I asked for written orders and there were none. They used your name ma’am @Dr_YasminRashid . You can see. @PTIofficial #NayaPakistan pic.twitter.com/HvzLThV0Lh

— sidra butt (@ButtSidra) October 19, 2018

They told her that no woman with an uncovered head would be allowed to enter the premises on the strict orders of several Ministers.

The women asked to see an official notice with this new rule since this was not their first time on the premises and they were not aware of any such rule. The officials present told them there was no written notice, just verbal orders.

In the video shared, the guards who stopped the women from entering have named Dr. Yasmin Rashid as one of the Ministers who had asked for this rule to be implemented

@Dr_YasminRashid can you please explain why you have ordered that women should not be able to enter the Punjab Civil Secretariat without wearing a dupatta? I understand you wear a dupatta and I respect your choice. Shouldn’t you be respectful of the choices of other women?

— Sehar Tariq (@sehartariq) October 19, 2018

So the reason for this offensive policy is apparently because previously a woman in a ‘questionable outfit’ came to the Minister’s block and distracted the men there.

And after this, a male Minister stated that no woman should be even allowed to enter by the staff if she did not have her head covered. The woman pointed out that her dress was completely acceptable since she was in shalwar kameez and a dupatta but the officials said their hands were tied in the matter since they had orders which had to be followed.

But considering there was no written and signed notice, it is not yet clear who exactly ordered for this rule to be implemented and whether it is only for the Minister’s block or the entire Punjab Civil Secretariat.

If this rule is officially being implemented, there should be a written notice issued. And why is this sexist rule being implemented, anyway?

Policing women over what they wear to a Minister’s office is just a new level of sexism by the government. Shouldn’t the men know when to control themselves if a woman wearing clothes they are not usually accustomed to seeing enters their office?

People on Twitter have certainly taken offense to this ‘policy’, and rightly so.

By order of a minister – Women entering the Punjab civil secretariat must wear a dupatta because otherwise men will oggle at them and get distracted. What century is This!?

— Sehar Tariq (@sehartariq) October 19, 2018

I suggest we blind all the men. Problem solved. https://t.co/b7AihdHhyW

— Zarrar Khuhro (@ZarrarKhuhro) October 19, 2018

So women can't enter the Punjab civil secretariat without wearing a dupatta, because the entire working of the secretariat will come to a halt? The secretariat functions as the epitome of moral values? What's next – the religious police?

— Hassan Niazi (@HNiaziii) October 19, 2018

PTI and Dr. Yasmin Rashid have tweeted refuting the guard’s version of the story. She said she didn’t issue any orders stopping women without dupatta from entering the Punjab Civil Secretariat

This is quite absurd indeed!
Neither has such an instruction been given nor is it possible to discriminate against anyone on this pretext
Have taken notice of this.
The guard has been investigated and a show cause notice is being issued to him. https://t.co/cTg2L3g2hv

— Dr. Yasmin Rashid (@Dr_YasminRashid) October 19, 2018

What do you think about this new rule? Let us know in the comments.

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Cover Image Source: @ButtSidra via Twitter.com