Islamabad police held 25 women’s rights activists in custody for violating Article 144. These women had assembled to observe International Women’s Day amid security threats.
Police action at rally site
The detentions occurred at the Super Market in Sector F-6, where participants had gathered for a planned rally. Following the arrests, activists were moved to the Women Police Station in G-7 Markaz.
The authorities quoted the section of the Code of Criminal Procedure that states that no assembly of four or more individuals is allowed in the interest of maintaining public order. It was confirmed that the assembly qualified as an unauthorized breach of the administrative orders.
The intervention of the police was captured live on social media by the organisers of the Aurat March. The videos showed that some activists, including Dr. Farzana Bari, were already inside the police vehicles. The Aurat March organisers, in their statement, claimed that their activists and organisers were arrested for attempting to stage the protest.
Restricted access to detainees
Meanwhile, the representatives of Aurat March asserted that authorities restricted access to the detainees. The family members and friends were not allowed to meet those in custody.
Moreover, human rights organisations are monitoring the situation closely and have called for the immediate release of the activists.
Police claimed that they had not yet registered a first information report (FIR), adding that the detained women could be released later.
