ISLAMABAD: Police on Tuesday intervened in a dispute between women’s rights activists and seminary students over a mural being painted near Lal Masjid.

Activists from the Progressive Students Federation, Awami Workers Party (AWP) and Women Democratic Front (WDF) were in the middle of painting a mural when seminary students approached them and asked them not to do so, claiming the mural was ‘obscene’.

According to sources, Aabpara police officials also reached the site in the meantime and prevented a possible clash between the two sides.

AWP Punjab and WDF Information Secretary Tooba Syed told Dawn that their activists had been painting a mural for the last several days on the wall of a house near Lal Masjid. At first, 20 to 25 men approached them and told them not to paint the wall, terming it ‘obscene’. They were later joined by a few women students as well.

During the argument the police also reached there and requested them not to paint the wall.

“When we were packing our belongings, some of the men spoiled our paint and sprayed the mural black,” she said.

When asked whether they had taken permission from the relevant authorities to paint the wall, Ms Syed said it was a private house and they had the owner’s permission.

“We had sought permission from four to five homeowners in various localities but got permission from the homeowner in G-7,” she added.

She denied that there was anything objectionable in the mural. In fact girls from the locality were also helping them, she said, adding that they would find another place where they could paint murals.

When contacted, an official from Aabpara police station said they had reached a house in G-7 upon receiving information that two groups might clash over the issue of a mural.

He said the students were asked to go back to their seminary and not to interfere in the activity.

At the same time, the activists from the other side were also asked to leave as it could provoke the seminary students and result in a clash.

He raised objections to the selection of the site by the women activists to draw the mural.

Published in Dawn, March 4th, 2020