Introduction
In Pakistan, International Women’s Day 2026 saw the arrest and detention of large numbers of women for participating in an annually held march. The situation, which led to immediate backlash from several rights organisations and civil society members, gave rise to multiple human rights concerns.
The primary purpose of this article is to shed light on the potential human rights violations faced by the victims, to be delivered in four specific steps. First, through establishing the facts and circumstances of the unfolded incidents, including the aftermath. Second, by exploring two similar precedents to identify patterns vis-à-vis women protesters’ treatment by the Pakistani authorities. Third, by analysing the events from the perspective of international human rights law, provide a clear overview of the possible rights issues in question. Finally, by summarising the key takeaways of the research in the context of a brief conclusion.
The Arrest, Detention & Release of Women in March 2026 2.1. Events in Islamabad on International Women’s Day
On March 8th, 2026, marking International Women’s Day, more than 60 women were arrested and detained by the police due to their participation in a peaceful demonstration that was about to take place on the streets of Islamabad, Pakistan’s capital. The participants gathered in the name of the Aurat March Islamabad collective; however, approximately 30 minutes before they could commence their yearly march, they fell victim to a police crackdown.4 Tariq Mehmood Ghouri, a civil society activist, stated that the women were manhandled by the officers during the arrests.
According to the police, the protesters were in breach of Section 144 of r Chapter XI of Pakistan’s Code of Criminal Procedure, 1988 (hereinafter CrPC).6 The law refers to “temporary orders in urgent cases of nuisance or apprehended danger”, conferring the authority to issue a final order when nuisance or danger is perceived. Pragmatically, the police officers deemed the gathering of protesters a potential public disturbance or threat. The events were preceded by an official letter sent by the Office of the District Magistrate concerning the rally, in which the preplanned and announced activity of Aurat March in Islamabad was described as an “unlawful assembly in the federal capital”, advising not to carry it out.8 Organisers behind the demonstration have claimed that the letter never reached them in any form and that it was released by the authorities on the day of the protest.
The demonstrators were transferred to the Women’s Police Station and were kept there in custody overnight.10 However, the wave of arrests did not end there. On the same day, the wife of Haris Khaliq, Human Rights Commission of Pakistan Secretary General, accompanied by other women, visited the detainees at the station to find out more about their status, but they were similarly taken into custody.11 Mr. Khaliq said the following on the matter: “My wife went inside to inquire what had happened with the others, but she never came out”. He also added that “A few others, including three journalists, also went inside the police station in the same way but did not come out. We were told that they too had been arrested, but we have no idea why […]”. The three women from the press were released later that evening.
2.1. Widespread Condemnation of Police Actions & the Aftermath
The situation sparked numerous negative reactions from various organisations. A statement issued by Aurat March Islamabad firmly condemned the actions of the police and the following incidents. It emphasised that the victims were only exercising their right to protest and called for their immediate release by the authorities.16 Beyond that, the National Commission for Human Rights (NHRC) and the Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) both voiced their concerns in light of the events.17 The NHRC pointed out that the right to assemble is the constitutional right of all Pakistanis, while the PFUJ criticised the arrests and manhandling of those involved.18 Additionally, Minority Concern, a non-governmental organisation based in the United Kingdom, also raised concerns regarding the matter, highlighting the persistent vulnerability of women in the South Asian country.
On March 9th, 2026, the participants were released, following which they immediately urged for investigation into how the officers have addressed them. In a press conference that took place at the National Press Club on March 10th, 2026, Dr. Farzana Bari, who is a member of Aurat March Islamabad and a leading rights activist, referred to Section 144 of the CrPC as a rule that is infringing upon basic human rights. As opposed to the stance of rights activists and civil society members, Talal Chaudhry, Pakistan’sMinister of State for Interior Affairs, justified the arrests, indicating that there was a reasonable attempt by the protesters to cause a nuisance.22 In addition, it was noted at the press conference that the detainees’ legal representatives had no access to the women in custody, who were allegedly subjected to a body search by male officers at the police station, giving rise to further human rights concerns.
Similar Precedents
3.1. The Baloch Long March
A similar incident to the March 2026 situation unfolded near the end of 2023 in the context of the Baloch Long March, organised by the Baloch Yakjehti Committee and triggered by the reported extrajudicial killing of Balaach Mola Baksh.24 Upon entering Islamabad on December 20th, 2023, the marchers were subjected to various attacks by the police, involving tear gas, water cannons, and batons.25 The following day, over 300 participants of the march were arrested and detained, including many women and a female journalist, based on two First Information Reports that were issued by the authorities to enable criminal proceedings against the demonstrators.26 A total of 47 women were held at the Women’s Police Station overnight before their release on December 22nd, 2023.27 A large number of the individuals placed in custody were denied the chance to arrange legal representation.
Drawing a parallel with the March 2026 actions by the police, a similar pattern of arrests and detentions can be observed. The authorities used a vague order to justify their intervention, using the detentions as a preventative method to put an end to the protests and silence the participants, similarly to how the Aurat March in Islamabad has been addressed. Similarly, the marchers were kept at the police station for two consecutive days in both instances, which proved sufficient to undercut the rally’s continuation. Additionally, detainees were not provided access to lawyers in either case, implying a recurring and deliberate obstruction of access to adequate legal defence.
3.2. Pre-emptive Protest Crackdown in Islamabad and Rawalpindi
A later precedent dates to August 2025, when in Islamabad and Rawalpindi, at least 15 women activists fell victim to arrests based on the pre–emptive application of Section 114 of the CrPC.29 This stemmed from concerns sparked by a potential Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf demonstration, which further resulted in banning all forms of assembly in the twin cities.30 Police personnel flooded the streets to prevent protest-related activities, with 4,000 officers mobilised in Rawalpindi alone.31 It was emphasised by the authorities that “[…] maintaining peace and enforcing the law remain the top priorities […]”, indicating that the women activists were perceived in the eyes of the police as a danger to public order.
The identical element in both instances of March 2026 and April 2025 is that the vaguely formulated Section 114 of the CrPC has been imposed. The law was utilised as a preventive measure, since the interventions occurred before any acts unfolded. The authorities managed to pre–emptively block women from exercising their fundamental rights to assemble and express themselves. In addition, similarly to the participants of the Aurat March Islamabad initiative, women were arrested without prior notice and were taken to a local police station.33
Analysis on Potential Human Rights Violations
4.1. Right to Freedom of Assembly
Pakistan ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) on June 23rd, 2010, meaning that the norms and obligations created by the treaty must be respected and upheld by the State.34 ICCPR Article 21 sets out the right to peaceful assembly, stating that
[…] No restrictions may be placed on the exercise of this right other than those imposed in conformity with the law and which are necessary […] in the interests of national security or public safety, public order […].35
Although on March 8th, 2026, the police acted against the protesters based on existing domestic law, namely Section 114 of the CrPC, this raises questions whether the arrests preventing the start of the rally were necessary to uphold public order. No clear evidenceof danger or nuisance preceded the Aurat March Islamabad, and no further explanation was provided by the authorities on the rationale for the crackdown either. The participants were engaged in a peaceful gathering, exhibiting no signs of aggression, and such events had previously been organised on multiple occasions without posing any threat to public safety. Therefore, considering the lack of concrete reasons and transparency, the steps taken by the police are not deemed necessary, potentially disregarding the marchers’ right to peaceful assembly under Article 21 of the ICCPR.
4.2. Right to Freedom of Expression
Article 19 (2) of the ICCPR provides for the right to freedom of expression, stipulating that “[…] this right shall include freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds […]” in any form or through any chosen channel.36 According to Article 19 (3), this freedom can only be restricted if provided by law or if necessary for safeguarding the security of the public.37 The same reasoning applies here as for the right to freedom of assembly, meaning that the march’s potential danger was not sufficientlydemonstrated by the police to justify the necessity of its intervention. According to credible sources, the demonstration was a peaceful initiative marking International Women’s Day, without any apparent or underlying signs of nuisance or public disorder.38
Despite corroborating their actions based on Section 114 of the CrPC, the arrests carried out by the officers occurred without any prior notification or reasoning. The authorities’ steps effectively prevented the women from expressing their views and ideas through the Aurat March Islamabad. Furthermore, the freedom of the press was also disregarded via the detention of three women journalists who aimed to inquire about the course of events.39 Their custody at the Women’s Police Station was not substantiated to any degree, and through their detentions, the police posed a significant obstacle to their freedom of seeking, receiving, and imparting information about the situation, possibly violating Article 19 (2) of the ICCPR.
4.3. Right to Legal Representation
Under the ICCPR, the right to legal representation is set out primarily in Article 14 (3) (b) and (d).40 Article 14 (3) (b) states that everyone shall be provided with the opportunity “[…] to communicate with counsel of his own choosing”.41 This is coupled withArticle 14 (3) (d), stipulating that everyone shall be entitled “[…] to defend himself in person or through legal assistance of his own choosing […]”.42 According to the report of Dawn, the detainees were not guaranteed access or any form of opportunity to contactor meet their legal representatives, and vice versa.43 Hence, no communication could take place to establish an effective legal defence for the women kept in custody. This left them at the absolute discretion of the authorities in terms of their release, without any potential avenue to argue against the arrests and detention they were subjected to because of their participation in the march. Thus, the officers possibly undermined the victims’ full enjoyment of their right to legal representation in the context of Article 14 (3) (b) and 14(3)(d) of the ICCPR.
Conclusion
The events of International Women’s Day reflect a symbolic illustration of women’s status, rights, and treatment in Pakistan, and women have been targeted by state authorities on multiple occasions before March 8th, 2026. This includes, for instance, the Baloch Long March incidents and the August 2025 crackdown, mirroring long-persistent issues in the country associated with women’s maltreatment. Moreover, the present research concludes that the recent police intervention, which resulted in numerous arrests,potentially infringed several fundamental human rights, inter alia, the right to freedom of assembly, the right to freedom of expression, and the right to legal representation.
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