Over 40 participants of the Aurat March in Islamabad have been released after arrest, and have called for an investigation seeking action against those responsible.
Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, the leadership of the march, flanked by civil society members and rights activists, criticised the authorities for “manhandling and threatening them”, and forcing them to sign unreasonable affidavits.
Dr Farzana Bari, speaking at the National Press Club, said the Aurat March is held annually. “We were aware that Section 144 was imposed in the federal capital, but civil society does not accept any law which is in violation of basic rights. You cannot take away our right to protest. Similar demonstrations were held across the globe, but we were stopped due to a suicide bomber threat.”
Haris Khaliq, secretary general of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP), described the Aurat March as a movement.
“We don’t believe in the violating the law, but with laws such as the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act among others, societies cannot run. We have seen a similar situation in Lahore, but civil society has been standing firmly against it,” he said, adding that participants were manhandled and beaten before being taken into custody.
Relatives and friends who went to inquire about them were also detained, Khaliq alleged.
Lawyer Kashmala, who went to the police station to meet the detainees, said she was locked in a small cell with around 80 people.
One arrested leader asked why they had not been informed in advance about the supposed threat.
She described being kept in a lockup without access to relatives, alongside women aged 14 to 73. “Some faced health issues due to overcrowding, which included children.”
Another participant said that more than 70 men and women were detained, including two pregnant women.
Meanwhile, Minister of State for Interior Talal Chaudhry defended the arrests in the National Assembly, saying a deliberate attempt had been made to create a law-and-order situation.
He noted that a No Objection Certificate (NOC) had not been issued and called the assembly “illegal”. Similar marches in Karachi and Lahore had been canceled, he maintained.