LAHORE: On Tuesday, the Lahore High Court (LHC) ordered the Aurat March organisers and Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider to choose a march place by 2:00 p.m.
The turning point occurred on March 8 in Lahore at the hearing of a citizen’s petition for permission to organise the country’s Aurat March.
Last Monday, the Lahore district government refused to grant the march’s organisers permission to hold a public protest.
Requests were made for authorization from the local authorities to hold the event, but the city’s DC refused, citing security agency threat alerts as justification.
The court mandated that both parties meet to discuss a venue during the hearing today.
Both the superintendent of police (SP) Civil Lines and the deputy commissioner for Lahore were present in court.
These issues are brought before the court on a regular basis, Judge Anwaar Hussain noted after hearing the plea.
This time, the DC claimed, they had been asked to consent to the march’s holding in Nasir Bagh. The PSL is ongoing, so the teams must travel, she continued.
Judge Hussain enquired as to the reason for public gatherings.
The court commented that when a political leader appears, the police are on the scene.
According to DC Haider, an altercation happened during Aurat March last year.
You cannot stop them from organising Aurat March, the LHC remarked.
The march could take place outside Press Club, according to the public prosecutor.
The administration is mandated by the court to keep the city’s law and order situation intact. It further stated that the march’s organisers should have some of the blame for preventing clashes.
The court ruled that the DC’s notification declining to approve the event was invalid.
When holding public events, political parties also consult with the administration, it was said.
The court ordered the parties to agree upon a venue and notify the court by 2:00 p.m.
