Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz responds to her husband's remarks — Dawn

In Pakistan, retired captain Muhammad Safdar, the husband of Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz, faced criticism after remarks about women who support the right to bodily autonomy. At the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat rally in the city of Chiniot, he criticized the slogan “my body, my choice,” Dawn reports.

Remarks at the rally

Safdar questioned why women who claim the right to decide independently over their bodies turn to religious scholars for prayers when they fall ill with serious diseases, including cancer. According to him, those who say “my body, my choice” should supposedly be able to heal themselves, since the human body, he claims, is under God's control.

Maryam Nawaz's reaction

On Friday, Maryam Nawaz responded on X to a post about her husband's speech. The author of the post noted that Nawaz's mother, Kulsoom Nawaz, died of cancer in 2018 after several months of fighting the disease, while accusing Safdar of mocking women suffering from cancer.

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Nawaz called it heartbreaking. She noted that a woman and a wife often fight a silent battle behind closed doors, finding strength even when she feels she may break. According to her, some battles are fought in silence, and some wounds remain invisible.

TV host Ajmal Jami called Safdar's remarks shameful, recalling his own experience of his mother's battle with cancer. X user Mahin Ghani stressed that the slogan “my body, my choice” concerns autonomy and consent and does not deprive women of the right to ask for prayers. Journalist Benazir Shah, for her part, supported Maryam Nawaz for her public response.