September 23, 2026
By Xari Jalil
LAHORE
A tweet by senior political leader formerly associated with the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI), and former minister for Fawad Chaudhry, has sparked contraversy and criticism online, after he insulted women drivers and called out any policy to encourage them on the roads. He was responding to a report by the BBC News Punjabi, which showed a rising number of women on bikes.
Most of the girls are horrible drivers and must not be encouraged to use bikes!! This campaign is akin putting their and others lives in danger…. https://t.co/d2YXoigf7g
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) September 22, 2026
The comment immediately attracted criticism especially from women, including those from PTI itself. Former PTI MNA and Parliamentary Secretary of Law, Barrister Maleeka Bukhari replied saying:
Why do you suddenly come up with these absurd and Misogynistic statements!
— Barrister Maleeka Bokhari (@MalBokhari) September 22, 2026
Chaudhry tried to make light of the situation, but she would have none of it:
Likewise Shireen Mazari, former minister for human rights criticised the statement:
Bad drivers have no gender bias! Let women drive whatever they want to with proper license same as men. End of issue. https://t.co/Vc9Y0mqb0e
— Shireen Mazari (@ShireenMazari1) September 22, 2026
Human rights activist Nazrana Yousafzai commented about how Chaudhry’s own children might feel:
I just feel bad for his daughters. It must be a horrible feeling to have a father who thinks this way about girls. https://t.co/D4WRTUOMum
— Nazrana Yousufzai (@Nazranausufzai) September 23, 2026
Ironically Chaudhry’s wife Hiba Fawad has once again condemned his stance on the issue as she had done a few months ago.
In July 2025, he posted a similarly critical tweet reacting to women riding scooters, where he voiced strong opposition to encouraging female drivers on two-wheelers. At that time too his wife, Hiba Fawad, publicly distanced herself from his views and condemned his stance online, emphasizing that women should have the independence and right to drive. He made a similar set of posts in June 2026 arguing that women shouldn’t join the police force, which also went viral and is viewable on his X feed.
Why women are opting to become police officers? Most of them are completely useless as cops, also it’s terrible career choice even otherwise…. https://t.co/Kd1cfDuWEA
— Ch Fawad Hussain (@fawadchaudhry) June 16, 2026
Sexism among political leaders
The sexist comments made by Fawad Chaudhry come just a few days after during a session of the Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Assembly, KP Information Minister Shafi Jan sparked controversy with derogatory remarks targeted at Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari and Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz.
In response, Hiba Fawad wrote a letter to the Chairman PTI, seeking accountability and a public apology over Shafi Jan’s remarks about a woman on the Assembly floor.
“No political difference gives anyone the right to humiliate a woman. Respect for women must always remain non-negotiable,” she said.
After her husband’s remark on women riding bikes, Hiba Fawad condemned it publicly:
That’s a sweeping stereotype. Bad driving is not a gender issue, it’s a training and road-safety issue. Girls should absolutely be encouraged to ride bikes, but with proper training, helmets, licensing and enforcement of traffic laws. The answer is safer riders, not fewer women… https://t.co/HtRmeoJ6cv
— Hiba Fawad (@HibaFawadPk) September 23, 2026
Rampant misogyny
Fawad Chaudhry faced earlier backlash over comments regarding the Baloch women protesting missing family members in Islamabad. He stirred controversy by claiming these women were free to protest in Punjab without showing ID cards, whereas Punjabis in Balochistan faced violence, drawing criticism for taking a callous, ethnically charged stance toward grieving family members.
During some online debates and television commentary regarding regional politics and security, Chaudhry has also made broad generalizations attacking Pashtun traditions.
He disparagingly alleged that Pashtun culture involved “selling women for a few hundred rupees” in backward villages—a reference targeting the cultural practice of walwar (bride price). At the time, social media users, activists, and Pashtun public figures condemned the statement as blatant ethnic hatred and misogyny that unfairly maligned an entire community.