Karachi, Sindh: Police briefly detained several Aurat March leaders outside Karachi Press Club on Wednesday, May 5, 2026. They were gathered to address a press conference.
South Superintendent of Police Manzoor Ali confirmed that police took the activists to a police station and released them shortly afterwards. Organisers said those detained included artist and rights activist Sheema Kermani. Furthermore, transgender activist Shehzadi Rai, Muniza, and others were also detained.
Aurat March Karachi organisers said the leaders had gathered only for a media talk when women police officers intercepted them outside the press club. Subsequently, police increased their presence around Karachi Press Club after the incident.
Civic space ‘shrinking’, says Sheema Kermani after police action against Aurat March activists
KARACHI: Veteran classical artist and rights activist Sheema Kermani has accused the Sindh police of manhandling women activists and shrinking civic space in the province, after… pic.twitter.com/G2W6PTjeTo
— The Punch (@thepunch223) May 6, 2026The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan condemned the detentions. They said the action targeted organisers and volunteers who planned to hold a press conference.
In a statement on X, HRCP said the incident reflected a “deeply troubling pattern” of denying public space to citizens seeking to assert their rights. Moreover, the commission said the constitution protects the rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression.
HRCP said preventing citizens, particularly women and marginalised groups, from convening even a press conference showed an “increasingly repressive approach to governance.” In this approach, authorities treat dissent as a threat rather than a democratic necessity.
