KARACHI: Organizers of the Aurat March in Karachi said on Sunday that they have not received a no-objection certificate yet to organize the annual march in the city, scheduled to be held on May 10.
The organizers said they had sent a letter to Pakistan People’s Party leader Asifa Bhutto Zardari “after not receiving any positive response from the authorities” on the issue.
“Seven days until the march, and we are still without a NOC! We really hope that Asifa Butt Zardari will stand with Aurat March in the spirit of Sindh’s history of women in politics, and ensure that the NOC is issued immediately!” They said in a post on X.
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The parade is scheduled to take place at Sea View on the occasion of Mother’s Day, which is celebrated on the second Sunday of every May.
dawn I contacted the relevant authorities regarding the matter, including Southern Deputy Inspector General Asad Raza, who said that the police would provide “maximum security to the organizers of the Aurat March” as they do every year.
He added that with regard to issuing a no-objection certificate, “this is handled by the district administration or the deputy governor of the south.”
But sources in the district administration said dawn That the Chief Superintendent of Police, South, has been asked to submit a report, including recommendations, for further processing of Aurat March’s application for NOC. They added that the report has not yet been submitted.
Meanwhile, Aurat March organizers shared the letter they said they sent to Aseefa in X.
“We are approaching you with the confidence that you, as the first lady of the ruling party in the region, who has a deep interest in women’s issues, will help us,” the statement read.
The organizers also pointed out that Sindh has a history of women’s participation in politics. “This is also the history represented by the Honorable Benazir Bhutto: a woman who demanded political space in the face of the forces that tried to deny it to her.”
“Aurat March Karachi comes from the same history. Every year, we march to raise our voices and demands. This year too, our demands are rooted in dignity, safety, livelihood, bodily independence, freedom from violence and women’s right to full presence in public and political life,” the letter said.
She added that the organizers have applied to the relevant offices to obtain a no-objection certificate for the march in Sea View on May 10.
“However, with only 7 days to go and no response, we are concerned.
“For a province that has long prided itself on its democratic, progressive, anti-authoritarian tradition, this delay is painful. Sindh’s political legacy is built on women who spoke up, organized, led, and refused to disappear from public life. At a time when women are preparing to assemble peacefully and constitutionally, this legacy must be carried forward with care and urgency.”
The organizers also expressed their hope that Storm “will stand with Aurat March in Karachi and support our right to march safely and peacefully.”
“We request your urgent help and support to ensure that the No Objection Certificate is issued without further delay,” they appealed.
The first Aurat March in Pakistan was held on 8 March 2018 in Karachi. The following year, it was expanded to include more cities, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Larkana and Hyderabad.
It has traditionally been held on International Women’s Day, but this is the second year that Karachi’s Aurat March will be held on Mother’s Day instead. In March, the organizer announced that they would not hold a march on March 8, International Women’s Day, due to Ramadan.
