The 28-point restrictions imposed on Aurat
March Karachi by the government of Sindh province in Pakistan
showcases “distressing example of familiar double standards” as
women, who are celebrated during speeches and choreographed
events, are labelled as threats by the state when they start demanding
their rights, local media has highlighted.
An editorial in leading Pakistani daily Dawn stated that the organisers
had requested authorities to allow them to hold a march peacefully for
women’s rights. However, they received a document dripping with
authoritarian anxiety. The message from the authorities could not
have been clearer: women can gather but only if they remain harmless
politically, it mentioned.
“Rather than facilitating peaceful assembly, the administration chose
to police slogans, speech and even clothing. The vague and sweeping
conditions betray insecurity. Why does a march calling attention to
gender violence and economic inequality provoke such discomfort in
ofcial circles? Why are women demanding bodily autonomy and
constitutional rights treated as a threat? Secure governments do not
fear placards, nor do they attempt to dictate what citizens may wear
while exercising their rights,” the newspaper opined.
According to the daily, a majority of perpetrators of violence against
women in Pakistan are men. Women face harassment on roads,
workplaces and homes and are subjected to honour killings, domestic
abuse, forced marriages and institutional discrimination. However,
authorities instead of dealing with the structures that allow such
violence regulate women. The state seem unable to tolerate women
who speak their mind without bureaucratic approval.
“Just consider: in 2026, women in Pakistan must still seek permission
to demand dignity while the state reserves the right to determine how
loudly, how politically and even how appropriately dressed they may
be while doing so. We have miles to go before we can claim to be a
progressive society,” it mentioned.
On May 5, the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) had
condemned the detention of Aurat March organisers and volunteers
outside the Karachi Press Club, where they had gathered to hold a
press conference.
The rights body stated that preventing people from holding press
conference showcases an “increasingly repressive approach to
governance”, where dissent is considered a threat instead of a
democratic necessity, leading Pakistani news network Geo News
reported.
The HRCP’s statement came after police briey arrested several Aurat
March leaders, including activist and artist artist Sheema Kermani,
outside the Karachi Press Club
HRCP strongly condemns the arrest of several organisers and
volunteers of Aurat March from outside the Karachi Press Club, where
they were scheduled to address a press conference. This incident is not
isolated overreach but rather part of a broader and deeply troubling
pattern: the systematic denial of public space to citizens seeking to
articulate their rights,” HRCP posted on X.
“The rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are
constitutionally guaranteed. Preventing citizens, particularly women
and marginalised groups, from even convening a press conference
reects an increasingly repressive approach to governance, where
dissent is treated as a threat rather than a democratic necessity,” it
added.
The organisers of the press conference said that the detained people
included Kermani, transgender activist Shehzadi Rai, Muniza, and
others.
