Kabul, March 9 – The Human Rights Council (HRC) of Pakistan strongly condemned the unlawful detention of women activists and members of civil society during the Women’s March in Islamabad, organized on International Women’s Day.
“Peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are fundamental rights guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan. Preventing women from participating in a peaceful march and arresting activists is a violation of democratic values and basic human rights,” the rights body stated.
Expressing grave concern, the HRC of Pakistan noted that despite three journalists – Saharish Qureshi, Farhat Fatima, and Ismat Jabeen – having been released, many others still remain in unlawful detention.
The rights body called on the Pakistani authorities to immediately release all remaining detained activists and participants, while respecting the constitutional right to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
It further urged officials to ensure that women, journalists, and civil society organizations can exercise their democratic rights without fear of harassment or arrest.
Expressing solidarity with all women activists, journalists, and members of civil society who continue to struggle for justice and equal rights, the HRC of Pakistan said, “International Women’s Day is a global moment to honour the struggle of women for equality, dignity, and justice. Silencing these voices through arrests only undermines Pakistan’s commitment to human rights and democratic principles.”
Meanwhile, the human rights body Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) condemned the crackdown on peaceful protestors as “unacceptable”.
The rights body noted that the arrest of peaceful protesters highlighted that the state institutions in Pakistan cannot tolerate civil rights movements, which reflects a serious violation of freedom of expression.
“Women in Pakistan are indeed miserably suppressed in various forms, whether it be socially, politically, or economically. However, the crackdown on Aurat March in Islamabad has witnessed how the state treats its women. The freedom of expression, right to protest, and struggling for justice are deeply despised in Pakistan, where even its own citizens or women are denied to even organise a peaceful demonstration on the occasion of International Women’s Day.”
The rights body urged civil rights activists to raise their voices against the injustice against women in Pakistan, which occurs under a military dictatorship, and also calls on the international community to hold the institutions accountable for the violation of basic human rights.