The Aurat March’s organising committee on Saturday filed a petition in the Lahore High Court, challenging the administration’s ban on holding the rally in the city.
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider has denied permission to organise the Aurat March, citing “controversial” placards and the likelihood of clashes with members of Jamaat-i-Islami’s ‘Haya March’ as grounds for the rejection, while human rights activists have condemned the move.
The Aurat March is held annually to observe International Women’s Day across several cities in Pakistan, including Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta, and Multan among others.
The basic demands behind the march are equal opportunities for everyone, including transgenders and women; raising awareness regarding gender-based violence, and calling on authorities to make laws in this regard. The demands also include risks related to climate change and the exploitation of the poor that comes with it among many other issues.
However, the organisers of the March face resistance from the government and regressive elements in society every year.
The Lahore district administration was requested a no objection certificate (NOC) for holding a rally on March 8 at Nasser Bagh, Lahore, followed by a march around the perimeter of the park.
However, the Lahore DC rejected the plea on the grounds of security concerns, ‘controversial’ cards and banners supporting women’s rights, and the likelihood of clashes with members of JI’s ‘Haya March’.
JI’s ‘Haya March’ is a religious counter-movement in response to Aurat March.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) condemned the move, saying that the right to peaceful assembly being challenged on such grounds is a “poor defence” by the district administration.
HRCP strongly condemns the Lahore district administration’s decision to deny the @AuratMarch organisers permission to hold a public rally marking International Women’s Day on 8 March. pic.twitter.com/CTL5nqTbUP
— Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (@HRCP87) March 3, 2023
The HRCP also called on the Punjab government to “uphold the right to freedom of peaceful assembly”, while urging the government to provide security.
The organisers of Aurat March Lahore also criticised the move, and said that the courts in 2020 had granted permission to hold March in Islamabad and Lahore.
The organising committee of the Lahore march said they will march, “upholding the rich history of Pakistani women and transgender activists defiantly fighting the systems that seek to oppress us”.
Not only are we being denied permission to gather at our chosen route (Nasir Bagh), the rejection further goes out of its way to foreclose all previous venues of the March such as Press Club, Alhamra, and Mall Road.
3/n pic.twitter.com/sa6lixPElc
— عورت مارچ لاہور – Aurat March Lahore (@AuratMarch) March 3, 2023
In a city where large crowds are allowed to gather for PSL, a peaceful gathering of women and gender minorities is being silenced and denied their constitutional right to assembly. Are cricket matches more important than issues of gender-based violence?
6/n#MarchTuHogi pic.twitter.com/PpL3VnrScP
— عورت مارچ لاہور – Aurat March Lahore (@AuratMarch) March 3, 2023
Meanwhile, Aurat March Islamabad was also directed to hold the march at F-9 Park, instead of Islamabad Press Club, which was proposed by the organising committee members.
