Netizens Rally Behind MNA After Islamabad Club Denies Service for Wearing Dhoti

“Punjab di dhoti a gai te rola pa dita”.

Pakistan’s highly exclusive Islamabad Club denied service to National Assembly member (MNA) Sheikh Rohail Asghar for wearing a dhoti to the club.

The Pakistan Muslim League-Noon (PML-N) politician expressed his outrage over the diplomatic club’s outdated dress code that still follows the traditions laid down by the Britishers.

Islamabad Club

MNA Sheikh Rohail Asghar stated,

Shalwar kameez is our national dress and dhoti a cultural dress. If I don’t wear a suit, then no one serves the food in the club.

Secretary Islamabad Club stated that the dress code was in place for the formal dining hall. This was part of club tradition. Management argued that Sheikh Rohail Asghar was not allowed to be served because the IslamabadClub is not a cultural club. Sheikh Rohail Asghar stated that wearing a dhoti was not cultural but a sign of civility.

Sheikh Rohail Asghar

The committee instructed the Islamabad Club’s management to convene a board meeting in order to address the problem and review the dress code.

Netizens applauded the PML-N MNA for taking a stand against the “gora” Islamabad Club for its outdated dress code regulations. One tweep wrote,

Three cheers to Rohail Asghar for taking on the ‘gora’ Islamabad Club. #GorayanNuDafaaKaro

With so much support for Sheikh Rohail Asghar and his dhoti on social media, we can expect a William Wallace-style protest outside the elitist Islamabad Club anytime soon.

The dhoti, a type of clothing that looks more like a trouser, is a type of sarong. The dhoti, which is worn around the lower half of the body, is considered a symbol of class and power among subcontinental men.

The significance of this attire in men’s lives is so great that a ceremony is still held for a boy who wears his first dhoti in some regions. This ceremony is intended to mark an end to his adulthood and confirm his manhood. Innovation and technology have made the dhoti more versatile over time. It is still a central part of local culture and men wear it proudly.