Lahore Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rafia Haider and Aurat March organisers held negotiations together and finalise the location for the March 8 rally.
Both sides met on the directions of LHC.
The Aurat March organising committee had last month requested a no objection certificate (NOC) from the district administration to hold a rally on March 8 at Nasser Bagh, Lahore, followed by a march around the perimeter of the park.
However, DC Haider had rejected the plea citing “the current security scenario, threat alerts, and law and order situation, and in light of activities like controversial cards and banners for awareness of women’s rights and the strong reservation of the general public and religious organizations, especially JI’s (Jamaat-i-Islami) women’s and student wings, who had also announced a programme against the Aurat March.”
Subsequently, Aurat March organisers had submitted a petition to the LHC, under Article 199 (jurisdiction of high court) of the Constitution, with DC Haider, the Punjab government, Lahore’s capital city police officer and National Commission for Human Rights Punjab member Nadeem Ashraf as respondents.
