ISLAMABAD: Several women’s rights activists, including Aurat March members, were detained by police in Islamabad ahead of a rally they planned to hold on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Sunday.

Police sources told Dawn that they were detained near Super Market in Sector F-6. They had planned to reach the National Press Club, but a huge contingent of police was already present there, which arrested the marchers and took them to the Women’s Police Station.

The Women’s Police Station released a list of 19 women activists of Aurat March. Those detained include prominent activist Dr Farzana Bari, two of her daughters, and human rights defender Tahira Abdullah, along with other Aurat March organisers and participants, police sources confirmed.

Aside from women activists, several participants, including men, were also detained by the police for participating in the march.

Zoya Rehman, a participant of the march, wrote on X that her husband, along with 20 other men, was taken into custody by police.

“No news of when they will be released,” she wrote.

According to police sources, overall, 44 participants of the Aurat March were detained, of whom 25 were men, and 19 were women.

Police sources added that the activists were picked up as Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC) remained imposed in the federal capital.

Section 144 of the CrPC is a legal provision that empowers district administrations to prohibit an assembly of four or more people in an area for a limited period.

Civil society activist Tariq Mehmood Ghouri told Dawn that, as per the information gathered so far, more than 25 men and women were arrested.

He said that the wife of Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) Secretary General Haris Khaliq and some other women went to the Women Police Station to meet the arrested marchers, but they had also been detained.

“They have been told to sit in another lockup and are not being allowed to come outside,” Ghouri said.

Replying to a question, he said that the marchers had gathered near Super Market and had no intention to head towards D-Chowk. He also alleged that marchers were manhandled by police.

Aurat March Islamabad also shared a video on their official Instagram account, showing Bari and other women sitting inside what appeared to be a police vehicle.

According to police sources, the district administration had denied a no-objection certificate (NOC) to Aurat March, so the gathering was an “illegal activity”.

Police sources added that the Lal Masjid management had also vowed to stop the march, creating a risk of a possible clash, so it was more appropriate to arrest the activists to avoid a law and order situation.

‘Worrying sign for country’s democratic fabric’

Participants of the march condemned the arrests, stating that detaining women on International Women’s Day was highly regrettable. They demanded immediate action against those responsible for the police action.

In a statement, Aurat March Islamabad said: “We strongly condemn the arrests of Aurat March participants and organisers who were peacefully exercising their right to protest.

“The detention of those who even went to the police station to seek the release of their comrades is deeply unjust and unacceptable.”

Demanding the immediate release of those arrested, Aurat March said, “For everyone’s safety, we request all participants to please disperse and return home to avoid further arrests.”

The organisation added that its members were working to secure the release of “our detained comrades and will challenge this injustice through all available means”.

PPP’s Human Rights Cell also strongly condemned the registration of police cases against the Aurat March leadership, terming the state’s high-handedness a direct assault on the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.

Ghouri, also the PPP cell’s information secretary, expressed deep concern over the “draconian tactics” employed by the Islamabad administration to stifle the voices of women and marginalised communities.

Ghouri told Dawn: “The district administration had refused to issue an NOC for the march, due to which it was decided to reach outside NPC on Sunday. However, a number of protesters were arrested by the police.”

He noted that the use of Section 144 and the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order (Papo) Act 2024 to criminalise human rights advocacy was a “worrying sign for the country’s democratic fabric”.

“The participants of the Aurat March were exercising their fundamental rights to highlight the rampant gender-based violence in our society. To respond to these peaceful demands with FIRs and blockades is not only unjust but reflects a patriarchal mindset that is afraid of women reclaiming public spaces,” Ghouri stated.

The PPP Human Rights Cell demanded the immediate withdrawal of all charges against Bari and other activists.

Ghouri emphasised that the state should focus on implementing laws against domestic abuse and child marriage rather than “harassing those who stand as the last line of defence for the vulnerable”.

The cell also urged the federal government to ensure that the right to protest remains protected, cautioning that “selective application of law” only serves to further alienate citizens from the state.

In a video shared by the group after the arrests, activists said the family members and lawyers of those detained were not being allowed to meet them.

Representatives of the Aurat March had held a press conference at the National Press Club on Saturday, condemning the current regional situation amid the Iran war.

They alleged that attempts were being made to impose war on Iran in the name of women in pursuit of imperial ambitions and economic interests.

Stating that the theme of Aurat March Islamabad this year was a “Feminist Constitution”, they also demanded the repeal of laws such as the Hudood Ordinance and the 26th and 27th Constitutional Amendments.

Since its inception in 2018, the Aurat March has been held annually nationwide on or around International Women’s Day, symbolising a collective feminist tradition of protest and resistance.

Last year, the Islamabad police registered a case against Aurat March organisers for staging a protest on March 8 in violation of Section 144.

The case, registered at Kohsar police station, also invoked Section 188 and 341 of PPC, along with Section 8 of the Papo Act 2024.

Islamabad authorities had reportedly refused to grant an NOC for a march from the NPC to D-Chowk. The marchers then went ahead with a gathering outside the press club after police stopped them from proceeding towards D-Chowk.