KARACHI — Police arrested Aurat March chairperson Sheema Kermani along with six other individuals at the Karachi Press Club on Tuesday after authorities prevented the group from holding a scheduled press conference on Aurat March 2026 demands and the right to protest, sources said.
According to sources, the press conference had been announced for Tuesday, May 5, 2026 between 4:00 PM and 5:00 PM at the Karachi Press Club. The event was titled “Aurat March 2026 Demands and Our Right to Protest.” However, police blocked the press conference before it could begin and subsequently arrested Sheema Kermani and six others.
Kermani Speaks Out During Arrest
In a video that circulated widely on social media, Sheema Kermani was seen calmly addressing police officers during her arrest, asserting her right to enter the press club.
“It is my political, human and legal right to enter the press club,” she said, while questioning the officers present at the scene.
She was also seen asking police officers whether they had received official orders for the arrests, indicating that she challenged the legality of the action on the spot. A large number of policewomen were present at the scene during the arrest.
The press conference had been organised to present Aurat March 2026 demands and to assert the movement’s right to peaceful protest. The blocking of the event and subsequent arrests raise serious questions regarding the right to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly as guaranteed under the Constitution of Pakistan.
No official statement has been issued by Karachi police regarding the legal grounds for the arrests or the charges filed against the detained individuals.
