MM News

A local court in Peshawar has ordered the registration of a first information report (FIR) against the organisers of this year’s Aurat March in Islamabad over alleged derogatory remarks.

A petition was filed by five lawyers Ibrar Hussain, Israr Hussain, Kashif Ahmed Tarakai, Siyad Hussain, and Adnan Gohar against it. In their petition, the lawyers alleged that during the Aurat March 2021 which was held this month on 8th March, ‘derogatory remarks’ were used in respect of Holy Prophet Hazrat Muhammad (PBUH) and Bibi Aisha beside a display of un-Islamic and obscene posters on the instructions of organisers which hurt the feelings and sentiments of all Muslims including [them], the petition stated.

Judge Syed Shaukatullah Shah, who passed the order on a petition stated that the petitioner’s arguments were heard and the record was examined. He directed the SHO East Cantt to “register FIR of the occurrence as reported by the petitioners under the relevant law”.

It all started earlier this month when a video from the demonstration held in Karachi was doctored to falsely show participants raising blasphemous slogans and widely shared online. In the viral video, women were quoted saying, ‘Ansaar bhi sun lein’ (referring to Ansaar Abbasi), ‘Orya bhi sun lein’ (referring to Orya Maqbool Jan) before that she says, ‘Mullah bhi sun lein’ (referring to the religious extremists).

However, some of the users quoted that the video was edited with blasphemy allegation as some words were changed from ‘Mullah’ with ‘Allah’, ‘Rasool’ with ‘Fazlo’, and ‘Aulia’ with ‘Orya’.

Since then, a debate had been started on social media that which video is authentic or not. Moreover, the organisers of Aurat March clarified that the participants of the march did not raise such slogans and their video was edited to defame their struggle.