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Netizens are up in arms after the Aurat March Faisalabad was cancelled

Netizens are up in arms after the Aurat March Faisalabad was cancelled

The march was reportedly called off due to "pressure from the administration" ahead of the event.
02 Aug, 2021

People are furious on social media after news broke that the Aurat March was cancelled in Faisalabad. Netizens are calling out the authorities, specifically the Faisalabad assistant commissioner, who allegedly did not give the organisers permission to march.

The march — which was set to take place on August 1 — was organised in Faisalabad to "stand in solidarity with all women seeking justice", inviting everyone to join and "demand [women's] rightful place in society".

The organisers of the march — mainly students and their teachers — had launched a social media campaign to bolster support for the event. They had also applied to the district administration to obtain a no objection certificate (NOC) in order to hold the march on Sunday.

According to human rights and political activist Ammar Ali Jan, the event was cancelled because the "Assistant commissioner Faisalabad threatened to arrest organisers and called young female students to intimidate them".

"It's a blatant example of how the state suppresses women's movements," he added.

Many took to social media to call out the local authorities' discriminatory and and repressive behaviour towards the organisers and their cause.

One user took to Twitter and wrote, "AC Faisalabad today coerced the Aurat March Faisalabad organisers to postpone the the event. During the hours long meeting he repeatedly said 'rape does not happen without consent these days' and 'women aren't this oppressed in Pakistan'".

Another tweeted, "Women were not allowed to protest against the brutal murder of Noor Muqadam in Faisalabad today because AC thought it was Noor’s fault somehow that she was murdered. He not only refused to grant NOC but threatened of grave consequences if the protest was held."

A campaign against the assistant commissioner has been started on social media to pressure the authorities into allowing the protesters to exercise their constitutionally given right to protest. A Twitter user requested everyone to "retweet and please spread the hashtag #ShameOnACFsd so we can have this march as soon as possible".

One user posted the hashtag and tweeted, "Isn't it ironic how a man told us that women have all the rights yet took away our right to march?"

Another tweeted and said, "“Are you ok?” No bro I live in a city where you can’t even march for your rights peacefully."

"Are these the rights of women in Pakistan!?" read a post on Twitter." We can’t even hold a peaceful protest?"

One user asked, "Why is suppressing women's voices so important for Pakistani authorities?"

"Aurat march just got cancelled in Faisalabad because the AC thinks Noor got murdered because she wasn't 'careful enough' #ShameonACfsd," another user wrote.

Organisers of Aurat March Faisalabad had also intended to pay tribute to Noor Mukadam, the 27-year-old who was brutally murdered in Islamabad on July 21. They had posted a charter of demands online ahead of the march which called for an end to — amongst other things — all forms of gender-based violence, especially violence against women, and other gender minorities by patriarchal institutions and forces.

Comments

Anas Iqbal Aug 02, 2021 04:58pm
Why not they say "give women the rights that are declared in Islam" I think people especially men would listen to this message more openly.
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Jehanzeb Ahmad Aug 02, 2021 05:48pm
The AC should be terminated immediately.
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sidC Aug 02, 2021 05:50pm
Everyone has a right to protest or voice there concern in peaceful way.
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Fastrack Aug 02, 2021 06:01pm
Needless march. Would have achieved nothing. One a year marches only served to widen the divide, not bridge the gap.
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Fastrack Aug 02, 2021 06:06pm
Not a word against exploitation of women in the media and fashion industries. Not a word about women alone being forced to wear the skimpiest of dresses in sports, nothing about countless sex crimes in the west.
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Fastrack Aug 02, 2021 06:13pm
او میری بہنو عام پاکستانی مرد تو آپ ہی کی طرح مظلوم ہے بے چارہ- باس اور بیوی دونوں کی سنتا ہے۔ عورت ساتھ دے تو دنیا کے آگے ڈٹ جاتا ہے۔ آپ نے اسی غریب سے لڑنا ہے؟ آپ دونوں مل کر برائ مثلا sex crimes کا مقابلہ کریں۔
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ST Aug 02, 2021 07:18pm
What kind of azadi they want? Where men use them as tissue papers and call them B?
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Mawlawi Yasir Aug 02, 2021 07:50pm
Why the people dont disclose that both killer and victom were the active organizers of aurat march?
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Pathanoo Aug 02, 2021 09:01pm
@Fastrack Every thing in it's palce and context, Sherlock.
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kp Aug 02, 2021 09:45pm
Mullahs chanting death slogans are allowed on roads but not the peaceful demonstration of women organization. and then you think why Pakistan has a bad image.
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AHAQ Aug 02, 2021 11:05pm
The assistant commissioner was appointed during Nawaz Sharif government. Civil service is independent institution and works to satisfy the needs of peaceful city functionaries for all citizens not for a few who say that they want to march whatever the consequences..
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Sane Mind1st Aug 02, 2021 11:45pm
It's August now. Why March?
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Albert Ross Aug 03, 2021 04:27am
@Jehanzeb Ahmad, Yes! The Faisalabad AC should be fired!
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Albert Ross Aug 03, 2021 04:36am
@Fastrack :Distraction by changing subject!
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Khalid iqbal Aug 03, 2021 07:46am
@kp two extremes , and you seem they are ok ,if you condemn one , then why do you have problem condemning the other.
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Fiaz Aug 03, 2021 10:23am
It may have been banned on the public health safety reason.
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Syed Adnan Aqib Aug 03, 2021 02:48pm
Dear AC, We stand with your comments. Aurat March may be allowed but within the constitutional limits and Islamic teachings. Any campaign spreading anti-islam propaganda should strictly be apprehended. Regards,
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