Maps
Magazine

CRIME

HRCP Condemns Police Action Against Aurat March Activists in Karachi
HRCP criticises police for detaining and manhandling Aurat March activists outside Karachi Press Club, urges authorities to protect civic freedoms.
MH
by Muhammad Hashir
2025-12-05
HRCP Condemns Police Action Against Aurat March Activists in Karachi

The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) on Friday condemned the police’s treatment of Aurat March activists in Karachi, urging authorities to uphold citizens’ right to civic spaces and peaceful assembly.

The incident took place on Thursday outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC), where Aurat March organisers had planned a press conference regarding the alleged abduction of two Baloch girls. Before the event, a rights activist was reportedly “briefly detained”, while several others were stopped from reaching the venue.

Organisers alleged that renowned classical dancer and women’s rights activist Sheema Kermani was manhandled by police, and that other women participants were “mistreated” by female officers. Veteran journalist Zofeen Ebrahim was also prevented from entering the KPC, though the press conference eventually proceeded inside the premises.

In a statement posted on social media platform X, the HRCP strongly criticised the police obstruction, calling the detention and manhandling of activists and reporters unacceptable.
“The HRCP urges the authorities to respect all people’s access to civic spaces and investigate the alleged police misconduct,” the commission said.

Authorities have not issued an official explanation for the disruption. However, a police officer — speaking on condition of anonymity — stated that the area around the KPC was under “extreme vigilance and heightened security measures” due to a terrorist threat in the Red Zone. The officer denied that any woman activist had been formally arrested.

The HRCP has called for an impartial inquiry into the incident and reiterated that peaceful assembly is a constitutional right.
Tagged:

KarachiPressClub

AuratMarch
Share News: