Defiant Aurat March organisers vow to go ahead with rally sans admin nod

Despite not getting permission, the organisers of Aurat March on Saturday announced that they would still take out a rally to the D-Chowk in Islamabad today on International Women’s Day, reported 24NewsHD TV channel. 

Farzana Bari, a feminist and a human rights activist, said that as had been the case in the past, she and other organisers of the march would assemble outside the National Press Club and move towards the D-Chowk.

She said that permission had been sought from the federal capital’s administration several months back. “However, we were not issued a no objection certificate,” she said, adding, “We even wrote to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and requested him to issue instructions to the administration to let us take out the rally.” 

“But the administration is asking us to put off the event due to the holy month of Ramadan,” she informed. 

In the letter, Farzana went on to say, the prime minister was brought home the fact that Int’l Women’s Day marked the struggle for the emancipation of women from male domination and patriarchal oppression. “We urged PM Shehbaz to uphold women’s rights to gather and protest without any obstruction.” 

Similarly, the Lahore Branch of Aurat March filed a contempt of court petition against the Lahore deputy commissioner for denying permission for their demonstration.

Reporter: Hashir Ahsan