Karachi police release Aurat March activists after briefly detaining them

Police on Tuesday detained seven activists associated with the Aurat March Karachi near the Karachi Press Club, before releasing them shortly afterwards on the directives of Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar.

The activists gathered at the press club to hold a press conference scheduled for 4pm, where they planned to demand a no-objection certificate (NOC) for their upcoming annual march in Karachi.

Among those detained were prominent figures including Sheema Kermani and Shahzadi Rai. All seven were later released after the home minister directed police in the city’s South Zone to free them.

Following their release, the group took to social media to criticise the action. In a post on X, Aurat March Karachi said: “We will NOT back down from our politics, and we will continue to demand an NOC!”

It added, “Scare tactics to suppress dissent are shameful!” while also calling on the Sindh government to explain the reasons behind the detentions and what it described as a “delay” in issuing the NOC.