On March 8, 2025, Islamabad police filed charges against the organizers of the Aurat March for conducting a rally without official permission, thereby violating Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC). The First Information Report (FIR) was lodged at Kohsar police station under Sections 188 (disobedience to an order lawfully promulgated by a public servant) and 341 (wrongful restraint) of the Pakistan Penal Code, along with Section 8 of the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024.
The complaint, submitted by Area Magistrate Ghulam Murtaza Chandio, references a social media video showing over 150 women, led by rights activist Farzana Bari, marching toward the National Press Club on March 8. Despite attempts by the magistrate and police to intercept the procession, participants proceeded and blocked Shaheed-i-Milat Road. The magistrate confirmed that no No Objection Certificate (NOC) had been issued for the march, and with Section 144 in effect—prohibiting all kinds of protests—the event was deemed illegal.
Prior to the march, organizers had announced their intention to proceed without formal permission, citing the lack of response to their application for an NOC submitted months earlier. They planned to rally from the National Press Club to D-Chowk to mark International Women’s Day.
