Earlier in the month, Univ. of Michigan’s Population Studies Center had printed the outcome of a survey in which it had asked respondents from 7 Muslim states to spot an ‘appropriate’ dress for ladies to wear in public.
Respondents were shown 6 head shots which showed ladies wearing anold styled burka, a niqab, and numeroustypes of headscarves and one devoid of any head casing. The report disclosed that 32% of Pakistanis assume the niqab is the most acceptable dress for ladies.
Bloggers and viewers were interpreting overall outcome of Michigan’s survey as if over 90% respondents say women must at least wear headscarf and gown. Furthermore, only 22% of Pakistanis in the Michigan’s survey selected that ladies should dress as they wish.
The Express Tribune ran some of the inquiries from Michigan’s report in an internet poll and, over a period of 5 days, 2235 folk responded, according to them. Express tribune survey results say sixty one percent Pakistanis want women may dress as they wish, in contrast to the Michigan’s survey which says only twenty two percent.
The impartiality of the Express Tribune can be challenged in many ways; because of the internet polling one can question the genuineness and uniqueness of each response? And how come specific audience of ET i.e. dominated by a specific liberal school can be a true presentational sample for Pakistan?
Surely the queries will doubt the credibility of the survey and answers will be tough for the ET management to respond. Why the ET management allowed posing their less reliable internet poll in an amalgam of Michigan’s survey with a headline that tries to conceal the reality of Michigan’s survey & posing a wrong picture? Surely ET management should keep an impartial posture of their blog as well as for their each post, avoiding the impartiality they cannot maintain a true sense of online journalism.