Aurat March Karachi postponed amid heightened Pak-India tensions

KARACHI: In the wake of rising hostilities between Pakistan and India, Aurat March Karachi has announced the postponement of this year’s march, citing growing security concerns and the risks posed to marginalised communities.

In a statement shared on its official Instagram page, the organisers said the decision was made “after much deliberation” and acknowledged the difficulty of the call, given the months of voluntary effort that go into preparing for the annual mobilisation.

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“We understand what this march means to our communities and how it offers a rare space for women, trans, and non-binary individuals—especially from working-class neighbourhoods—to reclaim public space and speak truth to power,” the statement read.

However, Aurat March organisers noted that the current war-like climate has heightened the risk of violence, increased state surveillance, and restricted movement, all of which disproportionately affect already vulnerable groups.

“We are postponing the Aurat March, not cancelling — because our fight continues,” the statement emphasised, reaffirming the march’s urgent demands including social security, reproductive healthcare, housing, labour rights, recognition of unpaid work, and freedom from violence. “These are not secondary to national concerns—they are national concerns.”

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The Aurat March also made a pointed appeal to the state, urging a diplomatic path to peace and criticising the allocation of resources toward military build-up over essential public services.

“Every war budget is a decision not to invest in hospitals, schools, ration programmes, and clean water,” it said. “The price of war is paid not by those who wage it, but by those already living with scarcity.”