Cops involved in baton-charging Aurat March participants suspended: Sana

Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman strongly condemns incident in Islamabad, seeks inquiry

ISLAMABAD:

Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has said that police personnel involved in baton-charging the participants of Aurat March (Women's Day March) in Islamabad have been suspended.

“Moreover, other persons responsible for misbehavior are also being identified, and proper action will be taken against them too,” he announced in a tweet on Wednesday.

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

The incident has sparked outrage and condemnation from politicians and activists alike.

In a statement on his Twitter account, Sanaullah earlier said that he had taken strict notice of the behaviour and that the Islamabad IG Police had been summoned. He further added that strict legal action would be taken against those responsible for the mistreatment of the participants of the women's march.

I have taken strict notice of the behaviour meted out to the participants of the women's march in Islamabad. The IG Police Islamabad has been summoned, and strict legal action will be taken against those responsible for this mistreatment.

— Rana SanaUllah Khan (@RanaSanaullahPK) March 8, 2023

Climate Change Minister Senator Sherry Rehman also expressed her outrage and 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 her Twitter handle.

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

In an earlier tweet, Rehman said that the participants of the march were rightfully upset and that the police had no business charging a small peaceful procession. "It is the women holding laathis that need to be pushed back, not progressive women. Sad to see this happening. Will seek an inquiry," she further said.

Friends from @AuratAzadiMarch are rightly upset. The Islamabad police had NO business laathi charging a small peaceful procession. It is the women holding laathis that need to be pushed back, not progressive women. Sad to see this happening. Will seek an inquiry

— SenatorSherryRehman (@sherryrehman) March 8, 2023

Videos show a bitter exchange between the Superintendent of Police (SP) Nausherwan and the attendees of the march.

Following the incident, Director Inspector General (DIG) Operations Shahzad Nadeem Bukhari soon arrived at the location.

The participants of the march began to chant slogans against the Islamabad police as they were restrained from taking the rally outside the federal capital's press club.

Read No 'controversial participants' allowed at Aurat March: Lahore admin

Women and other participants of the march faced difficulties in reaching the Islamabad Press Club as all roads leading to it were blocked with barbed wires and canters.

Acrimonious exchanges occurred between the women and police officials outside the club as the women stepped up to remove the barbed wire themselves.

The women chanted that they too had the right to protest and held up banners and cards proponing women’s rights.

Earlier today, the Islamabad High Court (IHC) rejected a petition filed by Amun Taraqqi Party (ATP) chief Muhammad Faiq Shah which challenged the permission given to Aurat March organisers to hold the rally at F-9 Park.

IHC Chief Justice Aamer Farooq proclaimed the plea non-maintainable after hearing the arguments made by the petitioner’s counsel.

The plea had claimed that Islamabad Deputy Commissioner (DC) Irfan Nawaz Memon allowed the National Commission on Status of Women to hold the march at F-9 Park.

It requested that the DC’s permission be revoked and that the organisers be instructed to not violate the “injunctions of Islam and the Islamic way of life while holding the Aurat March”.

Read More Court trashes plea against Aurat March

Prior to this, the Lahore High Court (LHC) had permitted the Aurat March organisers of Lahore to hold the march on the occasion of International Women’s Day on March 8.

Justice Anwaar Hussain had remarked that the march could be held from the NADRA office in Shimla Pahari to Faletti’s hotel from 1:30 pm to 6 pm.

During the proceedings on Wednesday, Justice Hussain ordered the organisers of Aurat March to hold a meeting with the deputy commissioner (DC) Lahore and decide on a venue for the event.

Previously, the LHC had summoned the deputy commissioner and superintendent of police (SP) security of the provincial capital on Tuesday on a plea challenging the DC's order wherein she had declined permission to hold the Aurat March on March 8.

Petitioners Khawar Mumtaz, Leena Ghani and Hiba Akbar had filed the application in which the Lahore DC, Punjab government through its chief secretary, capital city police officer (CCPO) and the National Commission for Human Rights through its Punjab member were made respondents.