32% of Pakistanis say niqab 'most appropriate' dress for women

Pakistanis believe that a 'niqab' is the most appropriate apparel for women, a new survey has found.

University of Michigan Population Studies Center conducted a survey in which it asked respondents from seven Muslim countries, Tunisia, Pakistani, Egypt, Iraq, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, to choose the most appropriate apparel for women.

The respondents were shown six pictures showing women wearing a shuttlecock burka, a niqab, different forms of headscarves and one without any head covering.

According to the Express Tribune, it was found that of the 3,523 Pakistanis surveyed, including 51% males, 32% favoured a niqab while the abaya was the second most preferred form of covering as 31% voted in favour of it.

The image showing woman without any head covering garnered a meager 2% favour from the Pakistani respondents, while the same image was favoured by nearly 50% Lebanese respondents. It was also found that nearly half of respondents from Tunisia, Lebanon and Turkey, said that women should be allowed to dress as they please, while only 22% of Pakistanis favoured the thought.

The report said that Pakistani respondents voted conservatively on other questions but when asked if men make better political leaders than women, 29% of the respondents disagreed.