Women the victors in Islamabad’s Aurat Marches

Protesters seek equal rights, end to violence against them in charter of demands

ISLAMABAD: Women who took to the streets of the twin cities of Islamabad and Rawalpindi on Sunday as part of multiple rallies to agitate for their rights were the true victors, despite a violent attack from participants of a counter-rally to dissuade them.

The district administration has promised to lodge a First Information Report (FIR) of the attack and arrest those responsible.

A large number of women and men gathered outside the National Press Club on Sunday to mark International Women’s Day.

Earlier in the day, members from the women’s wing of Minhajul Quran and the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) held rallies outside the National Press Club. The participants held up placards, charts, and banners inscribed with slogans demanding recognition of women’s roles in society.



Participants of the rally led by Minhajul Quran held up banners reading ‘women are building blocks of society, and assets of families’, ‘empowered women, empowered societies’, ‘explore your abilities, empower yourself’, ‘protector of upcoming generations’ among others.

They were of the view that the women already possess rights in the country but suggested that the government pass legislation which ensures women are given their rights.

The participants further called for an end of violence against women, legislation which protected and guaranteed equality and rights and other legal protections for the sector constituting almost half of the country’s total population.

Women from Jamia Hafsa, clad in their traditional black burqas, lined up on one side of Shaheed-e-Millat Road as leaders of the Ahle-Sunnat Wal Jamaat (ASWJ) spoke about how women’s or men’s bodies essentially belonged to God and must be handled how He had defined it. okPeople who are transgender also staged a rally in the federal capital in connection with the day.

Aurat march

Later in the day, a march for women, Aurat March, led by civil society members and the local chapter of the Awami Workers Party (AWP) and its leader Ismat Shahjahan.

She told charged supporters, which included men and women, that they are united. She added that everyone who had turned up for their march was a revolutionary and represents the bravery to stand up against the patriarchal constructs of society.

Meanwhile, the Aurat March, deemed as provocative against Islamic values by a faction of society, had a clash outside the press club with the participants of a women's rights rally organised by a religious party, whose programme was already underway there. However as the leaders of the Aurat March started to give speeches, a large number of workers of a religious group gathered on the parallel road. Sone, some men of the religious group started shouting slogans against the marchers.

The tense situation grew violent when some men from the religious group started pelting members of the Aurat March with stones, shoes and even throwing sticks at them. Some members of the Aurat March reciprocated this gesture in kind. This caused a mini-stampeded and injuries to several participants of the Aurat March, including AWP leader Shahjahan.

Windows of several parked vehicles were also shattered.  Sources said that the clash occurred as the administration had allowed both groups to organise their rallies at a singular location at the same time.

The only thing that separated the two groups and kept the situation from worsening was a heavy cordon of police — which had formed a human chain, some roadside railings and a tent wall.

Later, the organisers of the Aurat March decided to continue with their programmes on the parallel road and their march up to D-Chowk. There, they reenacted a play depicting struggles faced by women in their daily lives.

Islamabad Deputy Commissioner Hamza Shafqaat later assured that a case will be registered for the attack and all those responsible will be caught.

Federal Human Rights Minister Shireen Mazari strongly condemn the violence against Aurat March participants. “Our religion teaches tolerance and sabr (patience). It does not allow throwing stones and sticks at unarmed people [whom] one disagrees with. Can disagree with them but violence is unacceptable,” she said in a tweet.

JI rally

Besides the main Aurat March, women belonging to women’s wing of JI staged a large rally in the federal capital during which a charter of demands was presented calling for declaring acts such as honour killing, marriage with the Quran were termed to be contrary to Islamic values.

The charter further demanded implementation on laws for the protection of the rights of women.



JI Ameer Senator Sirajul Haq addressed the rally and announced that all men contesting on the party’s tickets who had refused to give their sisters their due share in the inheritance will not be given tickets to contest the upcoming elections.

He further suggested that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) should not allow all such people to contest the elections who have flouted the inheritance law.

He contended that the Pakistani society was neither dominated by men nor women, rather, it is dominated by Islam. He promised to raise issues of women in the upper house of parliament.

Haq cited how Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) highlighted the importance of women in Islam and reiterated that Islam granted a women role in private and political affairs.

The JI leader vowed to continue the struggle for women’s rights and said that the entire year must be dedicated to the respect and dignity for women. “Islam gave women rights such as mehr and a share in the inheritance,” he said, adding that hijab was a jewel for a woman’s esteem.



The JI leader recalled the era before Islam when women used to be buried alive. He went on to assert that after the dawn of Islam, people learnt that the women were an asset. Criticising the western values of forms of relationships, the senator said that women in western culture have been deprived of the husband’s loyalty. He claimed that this was the reason behind slogans such as “Mera Jism Meri Merzi (My body, my wish).

Burqa-clad man nabbed

Islamabad police booked a burqa-clad man who was caught at the Aurat March rally in Islamabad.

Based on suspicion, women constables had stopped the suspect for a search. When he answered in police questions in a throaty manner, they forced him to remove his veil.

Discovering the suspect to be a man, he was arrested and booked.

The suspect claimed that since women from tribal areas could not come to the federal capital, he was representing them.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 9^th, 2020.