KARACHI: Police briefly detained several Aurat March leaders, including activist and artist Sheema Kermani, outside the Karachi Press Club on Wednesday as they gathered for a press conference.
Organisers said those detained included Kermani, transgender activist Shehzadi Rai, Muniza, and others. According to South SSP Manzoor Ali, the individuals were taken to a nearby police station and released shortly afterward.
Police presence around the Karachi Press Club was increased following the incident.
Aurat March organisers maintained that the group had assembled solely to hold a press conference when the detentions took place.
The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) expressed concern, saying it “strongly condemns the arrest of several organisers and volunteers of Aurat March Karachi.” In a statement posted on X, the commission described the incident as part of a “deeply troubling pattern” involving the denial of public space to citizens.
The HRCP emphasised that the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression are constitutionally guaranteed, adding that preventing citizens — particularly women and marginalised groups — from convening even a press conference reflects an “increasingly repressive approach to governance,” where dissent is treated as a threat rather than a democratic necessity.