The Sindh government took decisive action on Wednesday by suspending three police officers implicated in the alleged mistreatment and arrest of veteran activist Sheema Kermani along with other women’s rights campaigners outside the Karachi Press Club (KPC) the previous day.
The activists had assembled at the KPC on Tuesday to hold a press conference aimed at securing a no-objection certificate (NOC) for their upcoming annual Aurat March in Karachi. However, they were briefly detained by police during this gathering.
The officers suspended include DSP Saddar Nasir Afridi, SHO Hina Mughal, and SHO Nadeem Haider of Artillery Maidan police station. Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar announced that a formal inquiry into the incident has been initiated. He emphasized a strict zero-tolerance stance on any abuse of authority, assuring that the dignity and rights of women will be safeguarded at all costs.
Notably, the detained activists were released shortly after their arrest on Tuesday, following directives from the Sindh home minister. In a statement posted on X, Aurat March Karachi reaffirmed their commitment to their cause, declaring, “We will not back down from our politics, and we will continue to demand an NOC!”
They condemned the use of intimidation tactics to stifle dissent as disgraceful and called on the provincial government to clarify the reasons behind the detentions and the delay in issuing the NOC for their march.
