KARACHI(National Times)- The Sindh government has issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) to Aurat March for their gathering on Sunday near Sea View, but with 28 conditions, including restrictions on the content of slogans raised, it emerged on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The march is planned<\/a> for Mother\u2019s Day (May 10, 2026), which is observed on the second Sunday of every May.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Last Sunday, Aurat March organisers in Karachi said they had sent a letter to First Lady Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, whose party governs the province, after there had been \u201cno response\u201d to their request to the relevant offices for an NOC. A press conference Aurat March had planned on Wednesday was also hindered by the detentions<\/a> of multiple organisers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Subsequently, South Deputy Commissioner (DC) Javed Nabi Khoso granted an NOC, dated May 8, to Aurat March Karachi to organise \u201cAurat March in commemoration of Mother\u2019s Day\u201d from 3:30pm to 7:30pm on Sunday at Beach View Park.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NOC cited a letter of no objection written by the South senior superintendent of police (SSP) to DC Khoso on May 4, the day after Aurat March shared their letter to Aseefa. It listed a total of 28 conditions and restrictions that the organisers and participants were to abide by.<\/p>\n\n\n\n According to the NOC, Aurat March organisers are \u201cbound to comply with all laws in force\u201d and shall be responsible for the \u201cinternal cordon security of the participants\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It further stated that \u201call participants\/organisers shall ensure peaceful conduct\u201d during the march.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NOC prohibited \u201canti-state slogans, banners, speeches or activities\u201d, as well as \u201canti-religion slogans, placards or objectionable remarks\u201d. It also ordered that \u201cno hateful, provocative, unethical or anti-social content shall be displayed on charts, banners or flexes\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cParticipation, support or representation by any banned outfit \/proscribed organisation such as BYC (Baloch Yakjehti Committee), JQSM (Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz) shall strictly not be allowed,\u201d the NOC read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The district administration also ordered participants not to \u201cwear objectionable clothing\u201d or carry out \u201cpromotion for the LGBTQ\u201d community, which includes transgender persons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo sectarian\/objectionable activity\/speech shall be allowed which causes or creates hatred amongst the various groups or may provoke or injure feelings of the people,\u201d the NOC stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The district administration barred speakers at Aurat March from delivering any speech \u201cagainst the \u2018ideology of Pakistan\u2019 or policies of the state\u201d. It further prohibited speakers from speaking against the armed forces or spreading \u201chatred among communities [and] extremism\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aurat March organisers were further told to ensure compliance with law and order standard operating procedures (SOP) and to cooperate with law enforcement agencies and district administration throughout the event.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo obstruction and disturbance shall be caused to the general public and traffic, especially thoroughfares\/main arteries shall be cleared from any hindrance,\u201d the NOC\u2019s 12th condition read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NOC mandated Aurat March to strictly follow the Loudspeakers Ordinance and confine entry\/exit points to one location.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It further told the organisers to have volunteers conduct physical searches of the participants and ensure they pass through walkthrough gates, alongside using metal and explosive detectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cBomb Disposal Squad shall carry out technical sweeping of the premises and hand over the venue to the organiser, who will depute volunteers covering the backside of the stage entry\/exit location and parking lots,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cParking lots shall be established at least 200 yards away from the main venue and volunteers shall be deployed for smooth parking,\u201d the NOC read, adding that vehicles entering the parking lots shall be scanned\/searched thoroughly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n As per the NOC, Aurat March Karachi was \u201csolely responsible in case of any mishap viz law and order situation, dispute of route\/venue or any kind of security\u201d, adding that it was to \u201cface the legal consequences at own risk and cost\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The NOC directed the organisers to \u201cabide by the orders of the police officers concerned\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It further told the Aurat March organisers to follow instructions from law enforcement agencies and the district administration \u201cin letter [and] in spirit, who may change the route or venue, if required or may ask to wind up the programme before time\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The organisers, the NOC said, were bound to brief the SSP and station house officer (SHO) concerned about the \u201ccomplete nature of the event, regarding security and also share the list of volunteers\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cNo aerial firing and drug\/alcohol is allowed during said event,\u201d the NOC stated, warning that the permission could be cancelled \u201cwithout assigning any reason\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In a defiant statement issued later in the day, Aurat March Karachi refuted \u201cspeculations\u201d that it had signed the NOC and accepted the terms therein.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThis is not the case. The NOC was issued to us by the government last night as directives imposed upon public assembly,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aurat March Karachi noted: \u201cWe continue to witness political space shrinking year after year, alongside increasing state repression and brutality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIn such conditions, movements like ours are constantly forced to think about how to continue building collective power without increasing danger for the very communities we stand beside, while also refusing to cede whatever little space remains to oppressive forces.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe space we have built for dissent has come through years of collective struggle.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n The group said it would march against marital rape, the Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act<\/a> (Peca) and defamation laws, and \u201call forms of patriarchal violence, including attacks on the right to protest and assemble\u201d. It would also demand a social and economic security programme called \u201cAurat Haq-e-Mehnat<\/a>\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAnd in case there is any confusion: Mera Jism, Meri Marzi<\/em><\/a> (my body my choice) is our core demand. We invite you to wear whatever you like and feel comfortable in. We will continue to fight for our right to complete bodily autonomy and agency,\u201d read the statement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Referring to the condition regarding BYC, Aurat March Karachi said, \u201cWe reject the state\u2019s labelling of groups and movements that are not legally banned as \u2018proscribed\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cAs a feminist movement, we believe such rhetoric threatens constitutional rights, democratic freedoms, and the possibility of collective political struggle itself,\u201d it asserted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The group urged participants to wear \u201cblack tomorrow in solidarity with all those being systematically silenced\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Affirming that it has always been a peaceful movement, Aurat March said, \u201cWe will continue to challenge patriarchal and systemic power until we see the complete dismantling of patriarchy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Separately, Aurat March\u2019s Lahore chapter said they \u201cstand in complete solidarity with the volunteers\u201d of Aurat March Karachi and raised objections to various restrictions imposed under the NOC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Terming the restrictions \u201cunjust, unlawful and oppressive in nature\u201d, Aurat March Lahore said the list \u201cseverely limits the speech of organisers and participants and infringes on their right to protest\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe demand that no slogan be \u2018provocative, unethical or anti-social\u2019 bears no understanding of how protests work. Protests, especially those calling out power structures such as patriarchy, are bound to be provocative,\u201d the group noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It explained that the decision to gather on Mother\u2019s Day \u2014 an \u201cotherwise sanitised and commercialised day meant to celebrate the unpaid labour of mothers without questioning the underlying exploitation\u201d \u2014 was itself \u201cmeant to provoke us to think differently\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cSocieties do not change without provocation; discomfort is endemic to protests,\u201d Aurat March Lahore said, asserting that prohibiting anti-state slogans or remarks against the \u201cideology\u201d of the state was a \u201cway to force self-censorship and extend the meaning of restrictions of freedom of expression beyond its Constitutional meaning\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The group also slammed the Sindh government for choosing to \u201cmorally police the clothing of participants by stating that \u2018no participant should wear objectionable clothing\u2019\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt feels ridiculous to have to say this, but the state cannot dictate how people dress during and outside protests. Who gets to decide what is \u2018objectionable\u2019?\u201d it asked.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aurat March Lahore also took exception to the NOC barring support of the BYC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThe restrictions are effectively stating that feminist movements can talk about women, as long as they are not Baloch women<\/a>,\u201d it contended, asserting that BYC was a peaceful movement with \u201clegitimate demands\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<\/a>\u2018Refusing to cede whatever little space remains\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
<\/a>\u2018No understanding of how protests work\u2019<\/h2>\n\n\n\n