Over 1000 journalists, politicians, academics, intellectuals and activists have expressed solidarity with the organisers of Aurat March and have condemned the smear campaign by extremists. They condemned concoction of facts to unjustly implicate women leaders in false cases by committing themselves blasphemy.

The political leaders include Aftab Sherpao, Nafeesa Shah, PPP, Farhatullah Babar, PPP, Pervaiz Rasheed, PMLN, Dr Malik, NP, Yousuf Musti Khan, AWP, leading journalists, PFUJ President and Gen Secretary, Shehzada and Nasir, Mobashir Zaidi, Ziauddin, Najam Sethi, Talat Hussain, Ashar Rehman, Ayaz Khan, Jabbar Khatak, Rana Jawad, Talat Aslam, Mohammed Siddique I. ARehman, Hussain Naqi and senior lawyers including Rana Shehzad, Sec SCB, Hamid Khan advicate, Hina Jeelani, President HRCP, Latif Afridi, President SC BA, Abid Saqi, and hundreds of civil society activist and leading feminists. Hundreds of Women and rights activists, including Sehgal, Saleema Hashmi, Sheema Kirmani Nighat Saeed Khan, endorsed the statement.

In a joint statement they said: “Instead of protesting and fighting harassment, rape and killing of women and children, the religious right has been shamelessly blaming women activists on concocted charges and doctored evidence. In fact, these are the very elements who use cooked up charges of blasphemy and, thus, commit blasphemy themselves.”

They called upon “All the democratic forces and conscientious elements to stand with the feminist movement fighting against the injustices, crimes, sexual harassment and all kinds of discrimination against women.”

“We call for an end to the harassment of women activists by the authorities and extremists and demand action against those who have launched this vicious campaign by concocting false evidence.”

While concluding they resolved that: “We assure our full support to the organisers of Aurat March and endorse their position and just demands.

Imtiaz Alam

Secretary General

South Asian Free Media Association