Since 2018, women’s rights groups have held the nationwide annual Aurat March, which coincides with International Women’s Day, and each year there is significant outrage from misogynists and extremists against the sloganeering, placards and demonstrations, deeming them vulgar and ‘not in keeping with the values of Islam nor the culture of Pakistan’. Although a few attempts to disrupt last week’s processions were made by certain individuals, the march went on in major cities largely without incident. However, it is what transpired a few days later that is disconcerting and could develop into a serious security issue if the government doesn’t nip it in the bud. Viral videos from the peaceful protests were doctored to make it seem like protestors were chanting blasphemous slogans. Thankfully the genuine footage was quickly disseminated on social media to counter the fake version, perhaps eliminating the possibility of a lynching or an illegal arrest at the very least. What is more concerning is the attention the Aurat March is getting from the Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), that has threatened the organisers with violence if they didn’t “fix their ways”. The TTP is responsible for some of the most brutal carnage that the country has witnessed in the past, therefore the action that they are willing to take against those associated with Aurat March will be nothing short of a serious attack during one of their protests.
While the government should not be expected to address the relatively non-lethal outbursts from patent male chauvinists, it has to take the TTP threat very seriously as there is every chance that a situation may arise where innocent lives are lost. It is essential that proper security is provided by the state to Aurat March protestors to avoid an untoward incident. At the same time, what the government can do immediately to show that it is taking the matter seriously, is to take meaningful action against the persons responsible for misusing the blasphemy law to incite violence against the protestors. Avoiding a terrible tragedy through preemptive action should be the government’s only approach to this increasingly dangerous and precarious situation.
