Islamabad High Court (IHC) Chief Justice Athar Minallah on Friday asked a petitioner challenging upcoming Aurat March to explain how it goes against the teachings of Islam.
Justice Minallah sought the explanation while hearing arguments regarding the maintainability of a plea challenging the slogans raised by participants of the Aurat March. During the hearing, the petitioner’s lawyer told the court that they are not against the Aurat March or the demand for women rights, but are against the slogans and posters being used by the participants. The lawyer claimed that the posters and slogans are against Islamic teachings.
To this, Justice Minallah asked the lawyer what he has brought on record to support his claim. “Did you see the clarification published in newspapers, which was issued by the organizers previous day?” he asked the petitioner. “They are raising their voice for those rights which are not being given to them,” he told the petitioner. “Where did they speak against Islam?” he asked. “Their posters are inscribed with the rights which are given to them under Islam,” he argued, and also asked the petitioner whether they can evaluate Aurat March slogans unilaterally.
“The first person to accept Islam was a woman,” Justice Minallah noted during the hearing. “They [the organisers] said in the press conference that they are demanding the rights given to them in Islam. When they have clarified their point of view in the press conference, then how can we interpret their slogans differently?” he asked, and also noted that the Aurat March has yet to happen and the petition seems to have been filed prematurely.
At this, the lawyer objected saying that they have come to the court to explain their point of view, but the CJ is instead telling them his own. “See the slogans attached with the petition,” the lawyer requested the court. At this, Justice Minallah told the petitioner that he should take the Aurat March constructively. He once again asked the petitioner how he can interpret the slogans without giving thought to its context.
After hearing the arguments, Justice Minallah adjourned the hearing and reserved his verdict on the maintainability of the petition. Later, the court dismissed the petition seeking to restrict the Aurat March as non-maintainable and not justiciable, saying the right of assembly is a fundamental right but the court expects that the participants of the march will exercise their rights in accordance with the law.
