Tag: ‎Aurat March Lahore

  • Five suspects granted bail in two honour killing cases

    Five suspects granted bail in two honour killing cases

    Peshawar High Court has granted bail in two separate cases involving honor killings.

    The first case involved Swat resident, Akhtar Ali, suspected of being involved in the killing of his wife and another man over three months ago.

    The bail was granted by Justice Shahid Khan of a single-member bench, who directed the submission of two surety bonds of Rs200,000 each for Ali’s release.

    The incident, which took place on July 22, 2023, was initially reported at the Shaheedan Wenai police station in Swat under sections 302 and 311 of the Pakistan Penal Code and Section 15 of the Arms Act.

    The complainant in the FIR, station house officer of the police station, Mohammad Zaib Khan, claimed that he along with a police team went to the crime site after learning about the murder of a man and a woman and found out that the deceased were killed by the petitioner, who suspected that the two had an extramarital affair

    During the hearing, the bench noted that the case lacked substantial evidence against Ali.

    It added that the complainant in the case had neither disclosed the name of the person who informed him about the involvement of the petitioner nor did he produce any other “cogent and reliable information, which could prima facie spoke about the guilt or otherwise of the petitioner.”

    Lawyers Saeed Khan, Askar Khan, and Dunya Zeb, representing the petitioner, emphasized the absence of witnesses and evidence connecting Ali to the crime.

    They added that the murders took place at nighttime and that there was no evidence to connect the petitioner with the commission of the offense.

    Similarly, the court also granted bail to Habib Khan and his three sons – Talim Khan, Owais Khan, and Zarif Khan – from Lower Dir district.

    It accepted the joint bail petition of suspects on the condition of furnishing two surety bonds of Rs100,000 each.

    They were arrested on suspicion of the honor killing of Habib’s daughter-in-law, Nish Bibi, whose body was found at their residence on Sept 23, 2023.

    An FIR was lodged by the mother of the girl, who alleged mistreatment and torture by her husband and in-laws.

    The complainant claimed that her daughter was married to Dawood six years ago but she didn’t have kids and she often asked her husband for medical treatment.

    She claimed that for the same reason, relations between the couple were strained and that she was mistreated by her husband and in-laws and was also tortured by them.

    Legal counsel Shabbir Khan Daulatkhel defended the petitioners, maintaining that the prosecution’s case was founded on rumors, lacking any concrete evidence against the accused.

    The initial bail application of the petitioners was rejected on Oct 12, 2023, by an additional sessions judge in the Chakdara area of Lower Dir district.

  • PTI rally, Aurat March in limbo after Section 144 imposed in Lahore

    PTI rally, Aurat March in limbo after Section 144 imposed in Lahore

    Ahead of a Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) rally and the Aurat March scheduled to take place on Wednesday, the caretaker government of Punjab has imposed Section 144 in Lahore.

    In a notice released by the Home Department, it was said that rallies and protests are taking place on a daily basis in the provincial capital, disrupting traffic and posing security threats.

    The notice, issued by Additional Chief Secretary (Home) Shakeel Ahmed, also said that terrorist activities in such gatherings have led to the martyrdom of civilians and policemen alike.

    “Hence, in the context of the prevailing overall security situation in the wake of the recent wave of terrorism and latest threat alerts, it has been necessary to impose Section 144 of Cr.P.C, 1898 on holding of all kinds of assemblies, gatherings, sits-in, rallies, processions, demonstrations, jalsas, dharnas, protests and such like other activities across the district Lahore to avert any untoward incident,” the notification read.

    PTI was scheduled to begin it’s election campaign with a rally led by Imran Khan passing through various spots in the city before culminating at Data Darbar.

    Meanwhile, Aurat March was scheduled to begin from NADRA office near Shimla Pahari.

  • Man kills pregnant wife for saying ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’

    Man kills pregnant wife for saying ‘Mera Jism Meri Marzi’

    A man in Lahore killed his wife for chanting the slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi”, reports Geo News. According to details, the horrific incident took place in Lahore’s Shalimar area.

    Allah Ditta murdered 28-year-old Maimona, who was pregnant, by strangling her. He later tried to cover it up by burning her body and posing it as an accident.

    However, police have arrested him. The husband had married the victim four years ago and also has four children from his first wife.

    According to the police, the accused confessed to his crime during interrogation and said that his wife used to chant the slogan “Mera Jism Meri Marzi”, which made him angry so he murdered her.
  • #MarchTuHoga: Additional Deputy Commissioner Lahore says full security will be provided to Aurat March

    #MarchTuHoga: Additional Deputy Commissioner Lahore says full security will be provided to Aurat March

    Additional Deputy Commissioner Lahore, Dr Atiya Sultan has assured full security to the Aurat March Lahore. “After the disposal of our petition, we had an excellent meeting with ADC Dr Atiya Sultan who assured us of full security for the March in Lahore. We are grateful for women in public office who pave the way and understand our movement and its importance,” a tweet from the official Twitter account of Aurat March Lahore, read.

    It is pertinent to mention here that, Aurat March Lahore filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court (LHC) asking the court to protect its right to hold a women’s march petition in Lahore High Court (LHC). Earlier today, LHC observed that the administration has not stopped the Aurat march.

    Aurat March Lahore, in a statement on Sunday, said that on March 4, Lahore’s additional deputy commissioner issued directions to Civil Lines SSP to hold a meeting with the organizers and ask them not to take out the march. 

  • ‘Nobody has the right to stop others from a democratic march’: Shireen Mazari on Aurat March

    ‘Nobody has the right to stop others from a democratic march’: Shireen Mazari on Aurat March

    Human Rights Minister Dr Shireen Mazari said that nobody has the right to stop others from a democratic march. Dr Mazari was commenting on the letter written by federal Minister for Religious and Minority Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri, asking to put a ban on Aurat March.

    “Nobody has the right to stop others from a democratic march. If women of religious parties can march, then why not others? On International Women’s Day, whoever wants to join Aurat March should join them and whoever wants to join Hijab March can do that,” said Mazari said while talking to Samaa.

    She also said that if women can celebrate Women’s Day across the world, then why not in Pakistan.

    Federal Minister for Religious and Minority Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri has written a letter to Prime Minister (PM) Imran Khan asking him to put a ban on Aurat March. On Geo News’s programme Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath on Thursday night , Qadri said he does not have a problem with the Manifesto of Aurat March but has a problem with the way marchers express themselves by taking to the streets.

  • Aurat March Islamabad ‘utterly dismayed’ with FIR against them

    Aurat March Islamabad ‘utterly dismayed’ with FIR against them

    Organisers of Aurat March Islamabad have responded to the petition filed against them in Peshawar, saying that they are “utterly dismayed” with it.

    “The Aurat Azadi March Islamabad is utterly dismayed at the order issued by a Peshawar Session Court judge on Friday afternoon under Section 22A of the CrPC through which a police station in Peshawar Cantonment has been instructed to file an FIR against ‘organisers and participants of ‘Aurat March’ held on March 8, 2021 in Islamabad,” read an official statement.

    The statement further said that the order was issued after a petition was filed by a group of Peshawar-based lawyers accusing the organisers and participants of ‘blasphemous slogans’.

    “The order was issued in response to a petition filed by a group of Peshawar-based lawyers that repeated the same vile lies against Aurat Azadi March Islamabad organisers which have circulated for more than two weeks. These lies, and the outrageous allegations of blasphemous slogans and banners, in particular, have been definitively debunked many times over,” added the statement.

    Read more – Endangering innocent lives

    Aurat Azadi March Islamabad also requested relevant authorities to call an inquiry and action against those who are spreading false accusations.

    “Government officials including PM Advisor on Religious Affairs Tahir Ashrafi and Federal Minister for Information Fawad Chaudhry have clearly called for inquiries and action against the elements responsible for sharing doctored content online and spreading the false allegations,” said the organisers.

    Condemning the act, the statement further said: “To accept such a vile and baseless petition is to subject women involved in any way with Aurat Azadi March Islamabad to unspeakable danger. Legal cases against AAM organisers/participants are untenable due to the complete lack of evidence to back up lies and propaganda. Yet to call for the police to lodge an FIR is to embolden elements that have, in the recent past, taken the law into their own hand and engaged in renegade violence against innocent men and women.”

    “It is common knowledge that arousing religious passions in Pakistan is akin to issuing a death warrant, and the Sessions Court order is fanning the flames of a fire that threatens to engulf women who have committed no crime other than speak for their own and the rights of women, girls and oppressed peoples throughout this country, rights that are guaranteed by the constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan,” it said further.

    The organisers also said that they have written an open letter to Prime Minister Imran Khan asking him to take strict action against those who continue spread baseless lies.

    “This is why we now demand unequivocal action from all relevant state institutions to ensure that this already alarming situation does not spiral completely out of control. In the first instance, we urge police, administrative and elected authorities in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to recognize that the allegations that inform the court order under section 22A have been patently established as false and malafide. There is no basis upon which to lodge an FIR, and we demand protection from the authorities accordingly.”

  • Fawad Chaudhry wants an inquiry against creators of fake Aurat March video

    Minister of Science and Technology Fawad Chaudhry has asked for an inquiry against those who committed the ‘grave offence’ of editing a fake Aurat March video, being widely circulated on social media.

    “Those who edited the video have committed a grave offence,” he wrote, “FIA should proceed against those responsible a trail will help agencies to trace who originated the fake video.”

    Meanwhile, female journalists and supporters are demanding a ‘public apology’ over ‘disinforminformation’ spread by some people.

    A document that is signed by female journalists and activists demands :

    1. “A public apology and immediate retraction by all the journalists and media houses who have shared disinformation about the Aurat Marches and that this is put out on the social media accounts, newspapers, television shows, etc”
    2. “That individual journalists and media organisations desist from spreading false and malicious information endangering the lives of Aurat March organisers and participants.”
    3. “That media houses stop inviting individuals with a history of repeatedly and deliberately spreading disinformation on their platforms”

    “These tweets with false information were shared by Ovais Mangalwala, Ansar Abbasi, and Orya Maqbool Jan,” stated the document.

    The hashtag #ApologizeToAuratMarch is trending on social media :

  • ‘Ek hee dafaa sari aurton ko ban ker do’: Meesha Shafi defends Aurat March

    Meesha Shafi has stepped forward to support the Aurat March after it faced backlash over a doctored video, which is being widely circulated on social media.

    Read more – ‘Whatever’: Meesha Shafi hits back at trolls

    “Classic, twisted and dark,” wrote the singer on Twitter. “A marginalized, victimized and vulnerable sector of society takes peacefully to the streets on a universally designated single day set aside for them, the usual rabid suspects take it straight into the twilight zone!”

    “Corona ko kahin hum na ho jayein,” she added on a humorous note.

    In another tweet, Shafi shed light on the main reason behind the backlash.

    “And remember, this whole thing started this time because a young lady displayed a poster stating she was sexually abused by a maulvi,” said the singer.

    “Pedophiles are running free. Children can’t play. But the #AuratMarch is a western agenda,” she said further, adding: “This is what epic gaslighting looks like!”

    Expressing her frustration, the Shafi further said:“Ek hee dafaa sari aurton ko hee ban ker do. Kissaa hee khatam. Na hum rahein ge na tum.”

    Meanwhile, Meesha also hit back at trolls over their comments.

  • Women of the world, unite!

    Tomorrow is International Women’s Day, which is celebrated worldwide. In Pakistan, many events are organised to mark Women’s Day. Aurat March, which has been held since 2018, will be marked with rallies in several cities, including Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi.

    This year, Aurat March Lahore’s theme is women’s health and the issues faced by women and gender minorities. They are demanding that the health budget be increased to 5 per cent of the GDP. Aurat March organisers have highlighted how violence has always existed for women and gender minorities in Pakistan since before COVID-19 but the lockdowns and social isolation resulting from the pandemic have further exacerbated physical, emotional and sexual violence against them across the country.

    It is quite unfortunate that Pakistan ranks 151 out of 153 countries on the Global Gender Gap Index Report 2020 index, published by the World Economic Forum. The only two countries lagging behind Pakistan are Iraq and Yemen. This is not a surprise given the way our patriarchal society treats women. From blaming rape survivors to practices such as honour killing, vinni and swara (exchange of women, especially young girls, to settle disputes between families), child marriage, domestic violence and many other such anti-women practices, Pakistani society does not make life easy for women.

    Sexual harassment cases when reported or talked about are brushed under the carpet. We have seen how women don’t just face offline harassment and violence but online harassment of women has increased manifold. It is but a manifestation of the anti-women bias in society. Women politicians, journalists and activists are targeted online on a regular basis. But it is good to see Pakistani women breaking these chains and raising their voices for women empowerment and their rights.

    From leading lights such as Fatima Jinnah, Benazir Bhutto, Asma Jahangir, Malala and many others who paved the way for women and young girls in our society, the struggle continues. It will take a long time to achieve equal rights for women but there is no reason to lose hope. We have seen that when women take a stand, it leads to the betterment of society at large.

    For an inclusive, tolerant and progressive Pakistan, women have to be treated as equal human beings. Women of the world, unite, for you have nothing to lose but your chains.

  • ‘Women’s Health Crisis,’ Aurat March Lahore reveals theme and poster for this year’s March

    The Aurat March Lahore organisers have released the poster for this year’s march and the theme is ‘Women’s Health Crisis’.

    The poster was shared on the official Instagram of Aurat March Lahore, and it is designed by Shehzil Malik.

    Speaking exclusively to The Current, Shehzil Malik talked about the thought process behind designing the poster. “To know more about women’s health crisis, I reached out to a friend who works in Public Health,” she explained, “and it helped me in the research.”

    “I like to research before I draw something, especially if it is for Aurat March or if it has something to do with Pakistani women in general,” she added.

    Talking about her artwork Shehzil said, “I didn’t want to depict women suffering, but rather envision a new reality where their health and well-being is a priority.”

    She went on to add that the initial sketches were all about the things happening inside women’s bodies, but those sketches gave an impression that there is something wrong with women’s bodies. She wanted to show that there is nothing wrong with the female body but that it is an unhealthy environment, which doesn’t support or prioritise women’s health.

    Answering a question about why the posters in Aurat March gains attention, she said, “If people are getting pissed off at posters, it is okay because it helps start a conversation around patriarchal toxic norms.”

    An official statement about the theme, ‘Women’s Health Crisis’ by Aurat March Lahore read, “The past year was a difficult one for all of us, but collectively the Covid-19 pandemic laid bare the stark inequalities in our society and amplified the oppression therein.”

    “We saw that those already disadvantaged, working and lower-middle-class, women and gender minority groups were particularly hit by the medical, social and financial fallout of the pandemic,” the statement said.

    “As conversations around public health took centre stage, we saw that the impact of the pandemic on women’s health and well-being was not part of these discussions. This is why we decided to highlight the issue of women’s health, an often neglected subject, this year.”

    “Most women in Pakistan suffer from lack of nutrition due to the lack of priority given to women’s health and safety. 52% of women of reproductive age in Pakistan are anemic. Pakistan has the highest incident rate of breast cancer in Asia, One in ten Pakistani women are likely to develop breast cancer in their lifetime. Women are criminally underrepresented in clinical trials and research, leading to a neglect of their particular needs.”

    The statement further said, “At a larger level, we decided to talk about the pandemic of patriarchy, much like the Covid-19 virus, patriarchy is a virus that has infected us all. During the pandemic, domestic violence numbers surged while at the same time women’s unpaid and care labour doubled as lockdowns and school closures took place. We wanted to use the metaphor of health to highlight the sickness of structural sexism and exploitation in our society—our collective societal body is in pain, our movement seeks to highlight this anguish.”

    “We also saw how all of this is deeply tied to capitalism and its vision of profit over care. The reality of the world in COVID-19 puts front and centre our need to also divest from ways of being and operating that are driven by structures that put profit over care. We need to divest from these ways in our individual and collective lives, at the level of our home as well as the state to truly live in a world where human life and well-being is above all else.”

    Aurat March is scheduled to take place on 8th of March, on International Women’s Day.