Event Summary
On International Women’s Day (8 March 2026), women’s rights activists in Islamabad attempted to hold the annual Aurat March, a movement advocating for gender equality and social justice in Pakistan. However, authorities had imposed Section 144, restricting public gatherings, and denied permission for the rally. As activists gathered, police intervened and detained dozens of participants, including women activists, organizers, and journalists, citing violation of the ban on assemblies.
Reports indicate that the police response was forceful. Reports indicate that roads were blocked, participants were stopped before the march could begin, and even family members, lawyers, and bystanders near police stations were threatened or detained. Detainees described overcrowded lock-ups, confiscation of mobile phones, and pressure to sign undertakings, while observers noted that the scale of arrests and force used marked an unusually harsh response in the capital compared to previous years. Participants and observers alleged that women were manhandled, dragged, beaten, and subjected to physical mistreatment during arrests, while journalists covering the event were also detained. Some detainees reported harassment, denial of access to lawyers and families, and difficult conditions in custody.
The incident sparked widespread concern and debate across Pakistan. Prominent feminist scholar and human rights activist, Dr. Farzana Bari, who was among those detained, condemned the police action as state violence against women and a violation of constitutional rights. Human rights organizations similarly criticized the actions, emphasizing that participants were peacefully exercising their right to protest and demanding accountability and independent investigations into police conduct. The crackdown was seen as reflecting broader tensions between state-imposed restrictions and fundamental freedoms, particularly regarding women’s rights and civic space.
In recent years, authorities have increasingly relied on legal and administrative tools such as Section 144 to restrict public gatherings and rights-based movements, including women’s rights groups such as the Aurat March movement. While the movement has successfully brought critical issues of gender-based violence, economic exclusion, reproductive rights, and unpaid care work into mainstream public discourse, it has also faced strong resistance from conservative groups, organized misinformation campaigns, and political pushback. This has created a polarized environment in which women’s rights advocacy is often treated as controversial rather than recognized as a legitimate democratic expression.
The events in Islamabad thus highlight a broader struggle over the role of civil society in gender justice and democratic space and the need for capacity development and advocacy to protect civic space, push for legal and policy reforms guaranteeing the right to peaceful assembly, and strengthen women-led movements.