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Journalism of Courage
A video featuring Pakistani lawmaker and former minister Zartaj Gul has gone viral, capturing a lighthearted exchange with National Assembly Speaker Ayaz Sadiq.
In the video, Gul humorously insists that the speaker maintain eye contact with her while she addresses the assembly.
Gul, with a smile, asked the speaker to wear his glasses and look her in the eye. “My party leaders have taught me to speak while looking directly into the eyes. I cannot continue speaking if you avoid eye contact like this. Wear your glasses, then, sir,” Gul said.
“I am a leader. I have received 150,000 votes. If you do not listen to me, I will not be able to address you,” she added.
Speaker Sadiq responded to Gul’s remarks with a mix of humor and cultural sensitivity. “I will listen, but I cannot make eye contact with a woman as it does not seem appropriate,” he said, drawing laughter from both ruling and opposition benches.
Gul replied, “If you dismiss 52% of women in this manner, only selected individuals will participate here.”
The speaker’s response and the following laughter were captured in the widely shared video, which has garnered millions of views on social media platforms. Many users praised the humorous yet poignant nature of the exchange.
One user commented, “Brilliant humor. Class act.” Another remarked, “Even though they are struggling economically and also in an unstable political situation, they keep their cool and jovial is a miracle.”
Zartaj Gul is a prominent Pakistani politician who served as the Minister of State for Climate Change from October 2021 until April 2022, when former Prime Minister Imran Khan was removed through a no-confidence motion.
She was a member of the National Assembly from August 2018 to January 2023 and was re-elected from Dera Ghazi in 2024.
