After much ado, the Lahore High Court (LHC) has finally allowed the Aurat March Lahore organisers to hold a rally on March 8 to mark International Women’s Day on a plea challenging the District Commissioner’s order which denied NOC to the march.
The court also directed Lahore District Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider to ensure the security of the march participants.
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.
During today’s hearing, the court dismissed the DC’s orders of denying a NOC to the Aurat March Lahore organisers for the rally and asked both parties to decide on the venue of the march.
Subsequently, both parties agreed that the march venues would be NADRA Office, and from Shimla Pahari to Faletti’s Hotel. The court was also told that the march would be held between 2pm and 6pm.
The court disposed of the petition while restraining march organisers from uploading any controversial statements on social media.
Justice Anwaar Hussain heard the petition.
In an earlier hearing, 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 petition was then assigned to Justice Anwaar Hussain for hearing.
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.
