• Annual event to be held at Beach View Park
• Organisers say Mera Jism, Meri Marzi is their core demand; invite participants to wear whatever they like
• Aurat March Lahore slams govt to morally police clothing of participants
• Police claim organisers have agreed to comply with code of conduct

KARACHI: As the Sindh government finally granted permission for the holding of Aurat March at Clifton’s Beach View Park on Sunday (today), the ludicrous restrictions, such as on wearing “objectionable clothing”, set by the administration angered civil society and rights organisations.

A no-objection certificate (NOC) was issued by South Deputy Commissioner (DC) Javed Nabi Khoso to organise “Aurat March in commemoration of Mother’s Day” from 3:30pm to 7:30pm on Sunday at Beach View Park.

Many conditions — like ban on raising anti-state, anti-religion slogans, banners, speeches or activities — are similar to the ‘code of conduct’ issued by the government for political or religious parties for their respective public meetings, rallies or other events.

However, the conditions in the NOC that Aurat March participants would not “wear objectionable clothing” or carry out “promotion for the LGBTQ” community, which includes transgender persons, and that “no hateful, provocative, unethical or anti-social content shall be displayed on charts, banners or flexes” raised eyebrows.

“Participation, support or representation by any banned outfit /proscribed organisation such as BYC [Baloch Yakjehti Committee], JQSM [Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz] shall strictly not be allowed,” another condition in the NOC read.

As per the NOC, Aurat March Karachi was “solely responsible in case of any mishap viz law and order situation, dispute of route/venue or any kind of security”, adding that it was to “face the legal consequences at own risk and cost”.

“No aerial firing and drug/alcohol is allowed during said event,” the NOC stated, warning that the permission could be cancelled “without assigning any reason”.

‘Refusing to cede whatever little space remains’

In a defiant statement issued later in the day, Aurat March Karachi refuted “speculations” that it had signed the NOC and accepted the terms therein.

“This is not the case. The NOC was issued to us by the government last night as directives imposed upon public assembly,” it said.

The group said it would march against marital rape, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (Peca) and defamation laws, and “all forms of patriarchal violence, including attacks on the right to protest and assemble”.

“And in case there is any confusion: Mera Jism, Meri Marzi (my body my choice) is our core demand. We invite you to wear whatever you like and feel comfortable in. We will continue to fight for our right to complete bodily autonomy and agency,” read the statement.

Referring to the condition regarding BYC, Aurat March Karachi said, “We reject the state’s labelling of groups and movements that are not legally banned as ‘proscribed’.

“As a feminist movement, we believe such rhetoric threatens constitutional rights, democratic freedoms, and the possibility of collective political struggle itself,” it asserted.

The group urged participants to wear “black tomorrow in solidarity with all those being systematically silenced”.

Separately, Aurat March’s Lahore chapter slammed the Sindh government for choosing to “morally police the clothing of participants by stating that ‘no participant should wear objectionable clothing’”.

“It feels ridiculous to have to say this, but the state cannot dictate how people dress during and outside protests. Who gets to decide what is ‘objectionable’,” it asked.

The group said they “stand in complete solidarity with the volunteers” of Aurat March Karachi and termed the restrictions “unjust, unlawful and oppressive in nature”.

“The demand that no slogan be ‘provocative, unethical or anti-social’ bears no understanding of how protests work. Protests, especially those calling out power structures such as patriarchy, are bound to be provocative,” the group noted.

Aurat March Lahore also took exception to the NOC barring support of the BYC.

“The restrictions are effectively stating that feminist movements can talk about women, as long as they are not Baloch women,” it contended, asserting that BYC was a peaceful movement with “legitimate demands”.

Aurat March Lahore further said that the NOC’s condition barring “promotion for the LGBTQ” community was “an attempt to restrict the participation of transgender and gender diverse communities who are the most marginalised amongst us”.

Organisers meet DIG

The organisers of Aurat March met DIG-South Syed Asad Raza at his office on Saturday, said a police statement.

It said that the DIG informed the organisers that the code of conduct must be fully implemented.

“Organisers assured that they will fully comply with the code of conduct and relevant instructions during the event,” the statement said.

Published in Dawn, May 10th, 2026