LAHORE: Six women ‘activists’ approached the Lahore High Court on Monday with a request to ‘regulate’ forthcoming Aurat March to ensure implementation of Citizen Protection (Against Online Harm) Rules, 2020.

Chief Justice Mamoon Rashid Sheikh is set to resume on Tuesday (today) hearing on main petition against the march moved by Advocate Azhar Siddique.

On last hearing, senior lawyer Hina Jillani had appeared before the court in defence of the participants in the march and questioned the maintainability of the petition. The police ordered to submit a report on security to be provided to the marchers and on law and order situation.

“If the previous Aurat March is taken into account, it can clearly be observed that the so-called march is nothing but an anti-state activity aimed at tarnishing dignity of women and tarnishing the image of Islam,” said the women in a civil miscellaneous application they filed through Advocate Siddique to become party in the pending main petition.

Applicants Ayesha Mubashir, Asia Yousaf, Seema Quratulain, Farah Naz, Amina Ameer and Ume Kalsoom claimed that they have been striving for the betterment of women and enforcement of their rights.

They submitted that the concept being spread through the Aurat March was fully opposite to teachings of Islam and culture of the country. They said main motive of the march was to create lawlessness and vulgarity in the society.

The applicants stated that the march missed its direction or desired trajectory and obviously, failed to raise grave issues faced by women that included gender equality, education, employment, workplace safety issues and domestic violence.

The activists pleaded that they wanted the Aurat March to be reformed into an event that would provide basic knowledge to women of their rights and spread awareness regarding enforcement of their rights through seminars, workshops and positive slogans.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2020