Sindh govt approves Aurat March, polices women’s clothes in the same breath

KARACHI: The Sindh government has granted permission for Aurat March Karachi to hold its annual gathering at Sea View on Sunday, but the approval has triggered debate online after the official No Objection Certificate (NOC) included restrictions not only on speeches and banners, but also on what participants can wear among other things they cannot do.

The march, scheduled from 3:30pm to 7:30pm on Mother’s Day, was approved through a 28-point NOC signed by South Deputy Commissioner Javed Nabi Khoso.

While the document contains standard security and crowd-control conditions, several clauses regulating expression and appearance quickly drew attention on social media.

Among the most discussed conditions was a directive barring participants from wearing “objectionable clothing”, alongside restrictions on “anti-state slogans”, “anti-religion remarks”, and any “hateful, provocative, unethical or anti-social content”.

The NOC also explicitly prohibited any “promotion for the LGBTQ community”, a clause that controversially included transgender persons within its wording.

Speakers at the event were instructed not to make remarks against “the ideology of Pakistan”, state institutions or the armed forces, while organisers were warned against any speech that could create sectarian tension or provoke hatred among groups.

The document further prohibited participation or representation from proscribed organisations, including the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and Jeay Sindh Qaumi Mahaz.

Security-related instructions formed a major part of the NOC. Organisers were directed to deploy volunteers to physically search attendees, install walkthrough gates and coordinate with bomb disposal squads before the event begins.

Parking arrangements must be set up at least 200 yards away from the venue, vehicles entering parking zones are to be searched, and organisers must share a complete list of volunteers with authorities beforehand.

The NOC also grants police and district authorities broad powers over the gathering, including the authority to alter the route, relocate the venue or end the programme early if deemed necessary.

The approval comes after a tense week for Aurat March Karachi organisers, who earlier said they had struggled to receive official clearance despite repeated requests. The group had written to Aseefa Bhutto Zardari after what they described as a lack of response from relevant authorities.

A planned press conference by organisers earlier this week was also disrupted after several members were reportedly detained.

Online, much of the reaction centred on the inclusion of clothing restrictions in the NOC, with critics describing it as an example of state-backed moral policing at an event that traditionally focuses on women’s rights, autonomy and public participation.