With a week left for Aurat March in Karachi, organisers say NOC yet to be issued

KARACHI: Aurat March organisers in Karachi said on Sunday that they had not been issued a no-objection certificate (NOC) yet for holding the annual march in the city, scheduled for May 10.

The organisers said they had sent a letter to PPP’s Aseefa Bhutto Zardari “after receiving no positive response from the authorities” on the matter.

“Seven days to the march, and we still have no NOC! We really hope that Aseefa Bhutt-Zardari will stand with Aurat March in the spirit of Sindh’s history of women in political life, and ensure that an NOC is promptly issued!” they said in a post on X.

The march is planned to be held at Sea View on Mother’s Day, which is observed on the second Sunday of every May.

Dawn reached out to the relevant authorities regarding the matter, among whom South Deputy Inspector General Asad Raza said police would provide “maximum security to the organisers of the Aurat March” like they did every year.

But as far as the issuance of an NOC is concerned, that was to be “dealt with by the district administration or South deputy commissioner”, he added.

However, sources in the district administration told Dawn that the South senior superintendent of police had been asked to submit a report, including recommendations, to further process the Aurat March’s request for an NOC. The report was yet to be submitted, they added.

Meanwhile, Aurat March organisers shared the letter they said they had sent to Aseefa on X.

It stated: “We are approaching you with the confidence that, as the First Lady of the province’s ruling party, who has a deep interest in women’s issues, you will help us.”

The organisers further noted that Sindh had history of women in politics. “This is also the history that Mohtarma Benazir Bhutto represented: a woman who claimed political space in the face of forces that tried to deny it.”

The letter said, “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 autonomy, freedom from violence, and the right of women to exist fully in public and political life.”

It added that the organisers had applied to the relevant offices for an NOC for the march at Sea View on May 10.

“However, with only 7 days left and no response, we are anxious.

“For a province that has long taken pride in its democratic, progressive, and anti-authoritarian traditions, this delay is painful. Sindh’s political legacy is built on women who have spoken, organised, led, and refused to disappear from public life. At a time when women are preparing to gather PEACEFULLY and CONSTITUTIONALLY, that legacy should be carried forward with care and urgency,” it read.

The organisers further expressed hope that Aseefa would “stand with Aurat March Karachi and support our right to march safely and peacefully”.

“We request your urgent help and support in ensuring that the NOC is issued without further delay,” they appealed.

The first Aurat March in Pakistan was held on March 8, 2018, in Karachi. The next year, it was extended to more cities, including Lahore, Multan, Faisalabad, Larkana, and Hyderabad.

It has been traditionally held on International Women’s Day, but this is the second year the Aurat March Karachi is being held on Mother’s Day instead. In March, the organiser announced that they would not be marching on March 8, International Women’s Day, due to Ramazan.