At a religious rally in Chiniot, retired Captain Muhammad Safdar mocked the feminist slogan "my body, my choice", asking why women who claim bodily autonomy seek prayers when they fall ill. He also called the late human rights lawyer Asma Jahangir cursed. His own wife, Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, called the remarks heartbreaking, and the Pakistan Bar Council and Supreme Court Bar Association condemned them. The bar association urged legal action, Dawn reports.

The row shows how religious rhetoric is used against women's rights and rights defenders, and how much it matters when people from across society push back.

Source: Dawn (2026-10-31)

Summarised by the FTI newsdesk.