Karachi: Police crack down on women’s rights march

Whilst Pakistan is in the spotlight for its mediation in the Gulf, the crackdown on civil society continues unabated. A group of activists were detained for several hours; they were due to hold a press conference on an initiative scheduled for 10 May for which they have not yet received permits. Human Rights Commission: “This is not an isolated incident, but a recurring pattern.”

Karachi (AsiaNews) - Several activists linked to the Aurat March were briefly detained by police yesterday in Karachi after gathering at the Press Club for a scheduled press conference, raising fresh concerns among human rights groups regarding restrictions on the freedom of peaceful assembly and expression, just as the country is in the global spotlight for its mediation between the United States and Iran over the Gulf conflict.

Social activist and Women’s March organiser Sheema Kermani was dragged out of her car, insulted and brutally taken into custody, as shown in a video that has gone viral. The activists chanted slogans against the ruling party in Sindh province, the Pakistan People’s Party. They stated: “This 75-year-old woman was deemed a threat to public order. This is how people involved in the arts are treated, whilst those involved in terrorism are quietly allowed to escape.”

According to the organisers, the press conference was due to begin at 4pm and aimed to request the issuance of a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for the group’s upcoming annual march. However, shortly before the event was due to start, at least three organisers were “taken away” from the venue. The group also reported that access to the press club had been blocked, preventing participants and the media from entering.

The police subsequently confirmed that several activists had been taken into custody but were released within a few hours. The release came following instructions from Sindh’s Home Minister, Ziaul Hasan Lanjar, who ordered local authorities to free those detained. An organiser told Dawn that a total of seven people had been detained and subsequently released.

Aurat March Karachi condemned the detentions, calling them “intimidation tactics to suppress dissent”, and reiterated its demand to hold this year’s march at Sea View on 10 May, coinciding with Mother’s Day. The organisers also questioned the legal basis for the detentions, pointing out that the gathering was a press conference held within the press club’s premises, and not a public protest. “Booking a room and holding a press conference within the confines of the press club is permitted even under Section 144,” the group stated, referring to the legal provision often used by the authorities to restrict public gatherings.

The incident drew swift condemnation from the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan and other civil society organisations. They argue that the incident “is not an isolated overreach, but part of a deeply worrying pattern: the systematic denial of public space to citizens seeking to exercise their rights” guaranteed by the Constitution of Pakistan.

Activists involved in the movement have emphasised that the Aurat March has always defined itself as a non-violent platform in support of women’s rights. Safina Javed, a member of the movement, stated that the march draws inspiration from feminist traditions of peaceful protest to counter gender-based and structural violence in Pakistan. She added that the use of art, placards and public demonstrations aims to reclaim public space without resorting to confrontation.

Another organiser, Sijal Shafiqu, criticised the authorities’ actions, stating that activists had been “stopped, assaulted, dragged, beaten and arrested” despite carrying out a peaceful activity. She questioned the state’s response to what she described as a movement aimed at raising awareness of issues such as rape, honour killings, child marriage, forced conversions and women’s self-determination.

The Aurat March, held annually in various cities across Pakistan, has frequently faced administrative hurdles and public controversy. Whilst organisers continue to press for permission to hold the march in Karachi, the incident has reignited the debate over the balance between security needs and the protection of fundamental civil liberties in the country.