According to police sources, the activists were stopped near Super Market in Sector F-6 while they were heading toward the National Press Club. A large number of police officers were already present in the area and detained the March participants.
Those detained included well-known women’s rights activist Dr. Farzana Bari, along with several other Aurat March organizers and supporters. The activists were later shifted to the Women's Police Station.
Police officials said the detentions were made because Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CPC) was already imposed in the federal capital. This law temporarily bans gatherings of four or more people in a specific area.
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Authorities also said that the district administration had not issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) for the Aurat March rally, making the gathering an “illegal activity”.
Officials added that the management of Lal Masjid had announced plans to stop the march, raising fears of a possible clash. Because of this security concern, the police decided to detain the activists to avoid a law and order situation.
Aurat March Islamabad shared a video on its official Instagram account showing Dr. Farzana Bari and other activists sitting inside a police vehicle after being detained.
Participants of the march strongly criticized the police action. They said detaining women on International Women’s Day was deeply disappointing and demanded the immediate release of all activists.
In a statement, Aurat March Islamabad said, “We strongly condemn the arrests of Aurat March participants and organizers who were peacefully exercising their right to protest.”
The organization also said that even those who went to the police station to seek the release of their colleagues were detained, calling the action “deeply unjust and unacceptable”.
The group later asked participants to disperse and return home to avoid further arrests while efforts continued to secure the release of those detained.
The Human Rights Cell of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) also condemned the police action. The group described the cases against Aurat March leaders as an attack on the constitutional right to peaceful assembly.
PPP Human Rights Cell information secretary Tariq Mehmood Ghouri said the administration used strict measures to silence the voices of women and marginalized communities.
He also warned that using Section 144 and the Peaceful Assembly and Public Order Act 2024 against peaceful protestors was a worrying sign for the country’s democratic system.
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Ghouri said the state should focus more on enforcing laws against domestic violence and child marriage rather than targeting activists who highlight social issues.
Aurat March organizers also said that lawyers and family members were initially not allowed to meet the detained activists.
A day earlier, Aurat March representatives had held a press conference at the National Press Club, where they discussed regional tensions and announced that this year’s march theme was “Feminist Constitution”.
The Aurat March movement started in 2018 and has since become an annual event held across Pakistan around International Women’s Day to raise awareness about women’s rights and gender-based violence.
Last year, police also registered a case against Aurat March organizers for holding a protest on March 8 despite Section 144 restrictions in Islamabad.
