Islamabad: A violent clash broke out in Pakistan’s Islamabad on the occasion of International Women’s Day on Wednesday as women and transgender people from various fields gathered outside the Press Club for the ‘Aurat March’ rally, where the local police thrashed the attendees with batons and allegedly tried to stop the rally.
In videos shared by The Express Tribune, participants of the rally and the police can be seen verbally fighting with each other. The police said that large groups of women were joining the march.
However, the women participants claimed that the police “tried hard to stop the rally”.
Several videos shared on social media show a bitter exchange between the Aurat March attendees and senior police officials.
This @ICT_Police man has the audacity to batoncharge our bodies, harass n intimidate us, stop us from marching, threaten us & then scream on us “don’t touch me.”Toxic masculinity & privilege at its peak!
Salute to brave Aurat Marchers for confronting him! #MarchTuHoga https://t.co/0n9TLClpV0
— Aurat March – عورت مارچ (@AuratMarchKHI) March 8, 2023
The rally is conducted every year across Pakistan by women on the occasion of International Women’s Day to voice their grievances and celebrate womanhood.
Isb Police attacked the peaceful women and transgenders who were participating in Aurat March.This happened the very same day when Punjab Police attacked the peaceful PTI women and workers in Lahore. Fascism in Pakistan continues #InternationalWomensDay
pic.twitter.com/k5xfq6HiMb— Dr Arslan Khalid (@arslankhalid_m) March 8, 2023
After the incident, the participants started chanting slogans against the Islamabad Police. Not just that, women and other participants of the march even faced difficulties in reaching the Islamabad Press Club as all roads leading to it were blocked with barbed wires, local media reported.
As the participants stepped up to remove the barbed wire themselves, the police tried to stop them. Later on, some women said that they too had the right to protest.
Shehbaz Sharif govt announces strict action against police
Soon after videos related to the incident went viral on social media, the Shehbaz Sharif-led government announced to take “strict action” against the police officials.
Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah promised to take strict legal action against the responsible officials.
The police personnel involved in baton-charging the participants of the Women's March have been suspended. Moreover, other persons responsible for misbehavior are also being identified, and proper action will be taken against them too.
— Rana SanaUllah Khan (@RanaSanaullahPK) March 8, 2023
Meanwhile, Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman demanded an inquiry into the incident. “There is no excuse for this. That too on Int’l Women’s Day. This is not what we fought for and will not tolerate it,” she wrote on Twitter.
I strongly condemn this violence and have sought an inquiry on the incident. There is no excuse for this. That too on Int’l Women’s Day. This is not what we fought for and will not tolerate it. Has been brought to the Interior Ministers notice. https://t.co/HL45Hj9HOn
— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) March 8, 2023
High Court rejects petition
Earlier in the day, a petition filed by Amun Taraqqi Party (ATP) chief Muhammad Faiq Shah challenging the permission given to Aurat March organisers to hold the rally at F-9 Park was dismissed by the Islamabad High Court.
The court stated that Shah’s plea was non-maintainable.
Shah’s petition had asked the court to revoke the permission and that the organisers be instructed to not violate the “injunctions of Islam and the Islamic way of life while holding the Aurat March”.
(With inputs from agencies)
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