Pakistani MP Nusrat Sahar Abbasi harassed in Parliament

New Delhi: In Pakistan, a female lawmaker, reportedly, threatened to self-immolate after she was harassed by male colleagues inside the parliament of the country, apparently showing how laws to protect women are not being enforced. An MP in Sindh province, Nusrat Sahar Abbasi, aired her fury. She alleged that provincial minister Imdad Pitafi invited her to his private chambers on the floor of the assembly in comments seen as sexual harassment in conservative Pakistan. The incident happened on Friday. She said despite protesting strongly the deputy speaker of the assembly, also a woman, refused to take any action. Frustrated, on Saturday Abbasi was pictured holding a small bottle said to be of petrol, threatening to self-immolate if action was not taken. As the incident exploded on social media, Federal party chiefs were forced to intervene and Pitafi finally caving under pressure apologised in the assembly. He offered Abbasi a chador, or veil, as a mark of his respect. Interestingly, the entire incident has posed a question on the implementation of laws protecting women from such sexual harassment in the neighbouring country Pakistan. Pakistan, a deeply conservative country: In a deeply conservative country like Pakistan, women have spent decades fighting for their rights where so-called honour killings and acid attacks remain usual. In recent years, Pakistan which has been exporting terrorism in India has passed several laws to protect women but critics have warned that without proper enforcement they will have little impact. A bill passed in Punjab province, last year, redefined "violence" to include "any offense committed against women". It prompted an Islamic religious body to protest that men should be allowed to "lightly beat" their wives.