WAF condemns attack on Women March

Islamabad:Women Action Forum (WAF) on Monday demanded strict and exemplary action against the perpetrators who have been named within the FIR for attacking the peaceful Women March organised in Islamabad.

In a statement issued by the Forum, the WAF Islamabad strongly condemned the unprovoked attack on the Islamabad Aurat Azadi March rally by members of JUI and Sunni Tehreek. It says that the leaders of JUI and Sunni Tehreek were allowed to assemble a large gathering across the National Press Club (NPC) ground despite not having a NOC.

“This group conducted a disruptive parallel Jalsa complete with loud speakers and moving stage which insulted and abused women that were protesting peacefully on the other side. It escalated to a point where the mob broke through the cloth barrier separating the two events and threw large stones, bricks and sticks at members of the Aurat March resulting in injuries of between 7-10 people including young women.”

The WAF statement questioned the security arrangements made by the city administration that led to disruption as well as injury to members of a peaceful procession that was being held after obtaining a NOC from the Office of the District Magistrate. “It is important to record that this breach of security happened despite a previous attack on a vehicle of the organizing committee and several threats over social media,” states the statement.

WAF refutes the deliberate falsification of facts that are being floated in the media (social, print and electronic) that this was a clash between two groups or that it was provoked in any manner by the members of the Aurat Azadi March.

The statement welcomed the registration of the FIR against 11 members of the attacking mob who were leading the procession against the Aurat March. “However, we note with deep concern that the FIR does not reflect the extent of violence that took place and fails to mention the sticks, stones, bricks and shoes that were thrown by the mob at a peaceful assembly. There are a number of eye witness testimonies as well as visual evidence in the form of media footage and phone videos that capture this. The fact that these objects were thrown clearly implies intent and pre-planning to disrupt the march with violence.”

WAF statement demands that the police and city administration suitably amend the FIR and add sections of the Pakistan Penal Code (1860) that reflect ground realities of what transpired. It demands that Section 351: Assault and its corresponding, Section 352: Punishment for assault or criminal force and Section 503: Criminal intimidation be added to the FIR.

“Freedom of expression and peaceful assembly is a fundamental right of the citizens of this country. It is the state’s responsibility to provide security especially in cases where retrogressive and violent groups have clearly signaled their intent through intimidation and action prior to the event. This right was shamefully violated on the 8th of March, an international day dedicated to women’s struggles all over the world,” the statement adds.

The Forum also welcomed the unprecedented success of Aurat March rallies taken out across the country on the 8th of March. Large numbers of women, men, transgender persons and children attended these rallies despite persistent and severe intimidation by religious parties and sections of the media who set out to create an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty.

“Their presence is a testament to the determination and fearlessness of women and their male allies whose history of street activism and resistance dates back to 1983, when they protested en masse against unjust and misogynist legislation promulgated under General Zia.”