This interview turned out to be much more than we expected.

Nowadays, the #MeToo Movement has created an entirely new landscape for the men and women in Pakistan, and beyond. Whether it’s in our careers, our schools and social lives, the principles of it all have slipped into the mindset of every single person in this country. Ideally for the better, yet, for some, not so much.

This reporter asked the Chief Traffic Officer in Lahore about sexual harassment at the hands of wardens and things got pretty intense.

The interview started with the reporter asking the Officer if he thought that Wardens staring at women on the road constituted as sexual harassment. To this, the Officer reacted quite rashly, immediately getting defensive.

He began raising his tone and voice to the reporter, accusing her of bringing in allegations of sexual harassment before he could even respond to her question. He expressed his frustration with the fact that he felt women at every instance could accuse any man of harassment. The Officer even got quite sarcastic, suggesting that the force enrobe the traffic Wardens in niqaab so that women don’t feel as though the men’s stares will feel like harassment.

Though the officer’s comments were defensive, sarcastic and disrespectful to the reporter, he eventually composed himself and addressed the matter at hand.

He went on to explain that the only reason this can be extremely frustrating, is due to the fact that at times, the current social environment makes it difficult for Wardens to do their jobs in the first place. Even though a woman is at fault for committing a traffic violation, the Officer is at risk of being accused of harassment.

At this point, the Chief Officer began explaining that the only solution for behavior such as this in this country, is that the men and women need to change collectively in their mindsets. He even stated that within his own force, they practice and carry out character building exercises to evolve the Officers so that they can deal with violators in a respectful manner.

He also made it clear to the reporter that this kind of behavior from his team is absolutely unacceptable for him

And within his job, if he ever finds out about any cases of sexual harassment at the hands of his wardens, he makes sure that they deal with the consequences immediately.

Though the MeToo Movement has sparked cases around the world, we have only just scratched the surface. The real problem now is figuring out how to navigate the actions and intentions of men and women together when it comes to something as sensitive as this. The Officer brought up a very important viewpoint in his interview. Though men are the ones who are being accused of the harassment, it is also just as equally important that women, when accusing men, are held accountable as well. This movement is much more than a colossal war on men everywhere, it is for all of us to feel as though as individuals, we are treated with decency.

What we should all hope to achieve in the near future, is the respect level that men and women should each equally have for each other. In every kind of relationship, be it with your friends, family and loved ones, consent, responsibility and respect is absolutely vital.

As we saw in this interview, perhaps the armed forces making steps in the name of justice will further encourage bigger steps in the rest of our nation.

Watch the entire interaction here:

What do you think? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Edhi’s Son, Faisal Edhi, Has Been Accused Of Harassment & For Once, People Are Actually Being Supportive Of The Accuser

Adnan Siddiqui Has Raised His Voice Against Sexual Harassment And Honestly, It’s Much Needed

Cover photo source: Atif Siddique Bhatti Via Facebook</span