Quetta, May 13 (IANS) Journalists and rights activists have criticised the Sindh government in Pakistan for imposing 28-point conditions, including a ban on the participation or support of the Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) and the Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM), in Karachi’s Aurat March. The permission letter issued by the office of the Deputy Commissioner South Karachi has prohibited the participation or support of “proscribed” organisations, including the BYC and JSQM, The Balochistan Pos…
Latest Aurat March News & Updates
Karachi, May 13 (IANS) Despite restrictions imposed by Pakistani authorities on Aurat March in Karachi, hundreds gathered at Seaview to raise issues that continue to impact countless women across the country. Over the years, Aurat March has become one of Pakistan’s most visible platforms for discussion on women’s rights and social justice, a report has stated. “Among the most poignant moments was the tribute to Shanti, the 19-year-old bride from Lyari whose tragic death after alleged sexual viol…
Quetta, May 12 (IANS) Naseem Baloch, chairman of the Baloch National Movement (BNM), on Tuesday strongly condemned the recent remarks made by the Pakistani armed forces regarding India’s selection of the name ‘Operation Sindoor’ for its military action, stating that the comments reflected a regressive mindset and deep-rooted bias towards women in Pakistan. Citing remarks by Pakistan’s Director-General of Inter-Services Public Relations (DG ISPR) — the official media and public relations wing fo…
Quetta, May 11 (IANS) Human rights organisation Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) slammed Pakistan’s Sindh government for barring the organisation from participating in the Aurat March programme, describing the move as “state fascism” against the people of Balochistan.The rights body stated that declaring the BYC and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz (JSQM) as banned organisations in the conditional permit issued for the march on Sunday demonstrated the “extreme of state fascism”.Raising questions ov…
Islamabad, May 8 (IANS) The handling of the Aurat March by Pakistan’s Sindh government this week has been criticised as a “disgraceful assault” on democratic freedoms. The events outside the Karachi Press Club could not be law enforcement, but the “suppression of peaceful civic activity”, a report said on Friday. According to an editorial in leading Pakistani daily Dawn, Aurat March organisers, for the eighth consecutive year, faced delays and intimidation over the issuance of a No Objec…
Islamabad, May 6 (IANS) The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Wednesday has condemned the detention of Aurat March organisers and volunteers outside the Karachi Press Club, where they had gathered to hold a press conference. The rights body stated that preventing people from holding press conference showcases an “increasingly repressive approach to governance”, where dissent is considered a threat instead of a democratic necessity, leading Pakistani news network Geo News reported.The…
Islamabad, May 3 (IANS) Media in Pakistan has been facing legal pressure, physical violence, digital harassment and financial coercion, according to the gist of a recent report released by the Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) ahead of World Press Freedom Day 2026. The report documented at least 233 incidents of journalists being targeted between January 2025 and April 2026, which included 67 assaults, 67 criminal complaints, 11 arrests, 11 detentions and three kidnappings, local media reported. “…
Islamabad, April 30 (IANS) Pakistan’s media landscape saw a reduction in space for free expression during the past year due to increasing legal, regulatory, and economic and other pressures, Islamabad-based media watchdog Freedom Network detailed in a report. Titled ‘Regulatory Repression of Freedom of Expression – Legal Controls and PECA Undermine Media and Journalism in Pakistan’, the report stated that the amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) law is the most “consequential i…
Islamabad, March 11 (IANS) The local police authorities in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad arrested several ‘Aurat March’ activists earlier this week who had assembled near the National Press Club to demand gender justice on the eve of International Women’s Day. Even those who came to police station for getting information about detained participants were reportedly taken into custody. Such heavy-handedness showcases a troubling pattern in Pakistan, where the constitutional right to peaceful protes…
Islamabad, March 10 (IANS) The leadership of Aurat March, civil society members and rights activists have slammed the Pakistani authorities for “manhandling and threatening them and forcing them to sign unreasonable affidavits”, local media reported on Tuesday. While addressing a press conference at the National Press Club, they demanded a probe into the incident and action against those involved in it. Their remarks came after several women’s rights activists, including Aurat March members,…