The organisers of Aurat March in Islamabad reaffirmed on Friday their commitment to proceeding with their planned event, announcing that they would rally from the National Press Club to D-Chowk today (Saturday), despite not receiving formal approval from the authorities.
“We will gather outside the National Press Club, as we have in previous years, and attempt to march towards D-Chowk to commemorate International Women’s Day,” rights activist Dr. Farzana Bari told Dawn on Friday night.
Dr. Bari, one of the key organisers of the march, stated that a formal application had been submitted to the Islamabad administration months ago, requesting permission for the march route from NPC to D-Chowk. However, they had yet to receive a No-Objection Certificate (NOC) for the event.
She further mentioned that the organisers had also reached out to Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, urging him to instruct the Islamabad administration to grant them the required NOC.
Instead, she said, officials had asked them to postpone the event due to the holy month of Ramazan.
Dr. Bari clarified that the organisers had already decided to observe the occasion with simplicity, refraining from music or other festivities out of respect for the sanctity of the holy month.
However, she asserted that surrendering their right to mark the day—which occurs only once a year—was not an option.
She stated that participants had been invited to gather outside the press club at 1 PM, with plans to “attempt the march towards D-Chowk” at around 4 PM.
In an open letter shared on Instagram, the organisers informed the prime minister that, despite persistent efforts to secure an NOC over the past six years, they had consistently been denied both safety and the right to protest.
“In the past, our organisers have faced violence at the hands of religious fundamentalist groups, police, and the Islamabad administration, projecting a highly negative image of women’s rights in Pakistan to the international community,” the letter stated.
