Petition filed in LHC against refusal of permission for Aurat March

LAHORE: A writ petition has been moved in the Lahore High Court challenging the order of the Deputy Commissioner (DC), Lahore, for declining permission for the Aurat March in Lahore on March 8.

In the petition, Deputy Commissioner, Lahore, the Punjab government through its Chief Secretary, and Capital City Police Officer (CCPO), Lahore, were made respondents.

It was stated in the petition that the DC’s order was an “arbitrary and colourable exercise of power and is in clear violation of the fundamental rights guaranteed in the Constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan”.

Requesting the court to strike down the commissioner’s impugned order, the petition added that the order was “not limited to the right to assembly, freedom of speech as well as the right to non-discrimination and to be treated in accordance with law as guaranteed in articles 15, 16, 17, 19 and 25, respectively”.

Meanwhile, the HRCP said it was appalled by the response of the local administrations in at least three cities, including now Islamabad and Multan, towards various Aurat March collectives that have been told they cannot exercise their right to assemble peacefully in public spaces of their choosing to mark March 8.

In a statement issued Saturday, the HRCP said, “It is the local administration’s duty to provide security to such events, not to circumvent them in this manner. We stand in solidarity with every woman, every trans person and every ally that plans to march on International Women’s Day this year.”