PTI MNA Ayesha Gulalai quits party citing 'ill-treatment' of women

MNA Ayesha Gulalai has announced that she will quit the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) on Tuesday. The announcement has come moments ahead of the prime ministerial election in National Assembly.

Gulalai cited ill-treatment of women in the party as the reason for her decision. She said that she had conveyed her grievances to the party leadership but no action was taken, forcing her to take the decision.

"Women workers are not respected in the PTI and a respectable woman worker cannot remain in the party," Gulalai said, adding that she will not be voting for Sheikh Rashid in the prime minister election in National Assembly on Tuesday.

She also said that the kind of culture some party leaders are trying to promote is not in line with Pukhtoon cultural values.

Gulalai, who was elected to the NA on a reserved seat for women from Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata), has been a staunch and vocal supporter of the PTI and Imran Khan and often featured in prime time talkshows to defend party policies.

She will be resigning from both, her party membership and the seat in NA.

"MNA Ayesha Gulalai's rebuke adds to the disquiet about a woman's place in the party," PPP Senator Sherry Rehman said in a tweet.

Another female politician, Naz Baloch, had quit the party earlier this month to join PPP claiming that only male members were given importance and women party workers were kept at a distance while the youth was restricted only to social media.