Aurat March not allowed to take place at same venue as Haya March
Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider has refused to give the Urat March’s planned march on March 8 permission to organise a public assembly in protest of injustices against women and minorities.
Leena Ghani, an activist and one of the Aurat March volunteers, revealed in an exclusive interview that they had submitted an application for a Non-Objection Certificate (NOC) on February 13 in order for the march to take place on the chosen day. The administration, though, unexpectedly changed its mind.
Ghani said : “At the time, in a meeting with deputy commissioner Rafia, she assured us. However, later she sent a rejection letter.”
She claimed that the authorities forbade them in the letter from congregating at the Lahore Press Club, where the march ordinarily starts each year.
She spoke about their Friday meeting with the Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Operations and how they insisted on moving the location of the Aurat March.
They appear to have promised Nasir Bagh to the organisers of the Haya March for a gathering. This is why they want us to apply pressure right away, Ghani claims.
She further stated that if they don’t move the location, the police have stated that security won’t be provided. The organizers insisted on getting security regardless of the protest location.
She further added that the NOC is only a formality and that verbal agreements were once typical. She then announced that they would petition the Lahore High Court (LHC) to overturn the judgement.
The city’s government has enforced such a restriction in previous years also. Last year, the rally’s organisers in Lahore received advice to call it off because to safety concerns. The district administration unjustly stopped the march despite giving permission. Therefore. the news may upset many as Aurat March not allowed to take place at same venue as Haya March.
