Jamima Afridi, a women’s rights activist in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, says that the chadri (burqa) does not represent the historical and cultural identity of Pashtun and Afghan women, but rather, according to her, is the result of terrorism, extremism, and imposed foreign policies.
In a message posted on the social media platform X, she wrote that over generations and throughout the years, Pashtun and Afghan women were not identified by the chadri, but that the image now formed in the world’s perception of them does not align with reality.
Ms. Afridi emphasized that women have always borne the heaviest burden of oppression and restrictions, and that the burqa should be viewed as a product of conditions imposed upon them rather than as their primary identity.
She also criticized influential social media figures who, according to her, wear the burqa temporarily to gain a few likes and achieve fame, portraying it as a symbol worthy of admiration.
According to her, those who wear the burqa only for a short time can never understand what it means to live under such attire for extended periods and to face the restrictions associated with it.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
