The Lahore High Court (LHC) on Monday summoned Lahore District Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider and Security Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dost Muhammad tomorrow on a plea challenging the DC’s order wherein she declined permission to hold the Aurat March on March 8.
The Aurat March organising committee had last month requested a no objection certificate (NOC) from the district administration to hold a rally on March 8 at Nasser Bagh, Lahore, followed by a march around the perimeter of the park.
However, the DC denied permission to organise the Aurat March, citing “controversial” placards and the likelihood of clashes with members of Jamaat-i-Islami’s (JI) ‘Haya March’ as grounds for the rejection.
Subsequently, the Aurat March’s organising committee filed a petition in the LHC.
Justice Anwaar Hussain heard the petition and passed the order after Justice Muzamil Akhtar Shabir refused to hear the plea due to “personal reasons” and sent the case file to the LHC chief justice, requesting to mark it to another bench.
The petitioners maintained that the DC’s order is “an arbitrary and colourable exercise of power” and requested the court to strike down the commissioner’s order.
Regarding the security concerns and the JI’s planned march, the petitioners said they had requested the DC to facilitate them by ensuring security in holding the Aurat March, which would be confined within Nasir Bagh’s boundaries for the most part on March 8.
It was also requested that the court pass directions to concerned quarters to fully facilitate the petitioners and all the women of Lahore to peacefully participate in the Aurat March being organised at Nasir Bagh this year.
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.
