IHC throws out petition seeking ban on Aurat March

By News Desk

ISLAMABAD: The Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Friday threw out a petition seeking a ban on ‘Aurat March’ and its associated “controversial” banners on International Women’s Day for being non-maintainable.

IHC Chief Justice Athar Minallah said the women who were going to march were marching for their legal rights that were also granted by Islam. “It was Islam that stopped the incidents of burying daughters alive,” he said.

The petitioner’s counsel pleaded to the court that such marches should be conducted according to the teachings of Islam and the law of the land. To this, the Justice Minallah asked what anti-Islam thing was done in it. “The march organisers had clarified it the other day in a press conference,” he added.

The chief justice said the slogans were pertaining to the rights of women — which were not being provided to them. “When they have clarified the meaning of the slogans, how could anyone interpret them on their own? he asked.

The chief justice said action would be taken if law was broken during the women’s march. The bench observed that the petitioner was demanding relief from court before time. Justice Minallah said the court hoped that the petitioners would approach the court regarding the implementation of Islamic laws. After this, the judgment on the case was reserved by the court.