Sheema Kirmani, Aurat March activists released after brief arrest outside Karachi Press Club

KARACHI – A planned Aurat March Karachi press briefing outside Karachi Press Club took unexpected turn when police briefly detained seven activists, including Sheema Kirmani, just before the event. The group gathered to demand a no-objection certificate (NOC) for their annual march. Hours later, all were released on orders from the Sindh home minister, but the incident has intensified calls for an explanation and renewed demands for official permission. document.create Element('video'); https://pakobserver.net/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/WhatsApp-Video-2026-05-05-at-7.39.01-PM.mp4 Sindh police detained prominent artist and human rights activist Sheema Kirmani along with several Aurat March Karachi members outside the Karachi Press Club, moments before a scheduled press conference. The activists gathered at 4pm to demand issuance of no-objection certificate (NOC) for their annual march when police moved in and took seven individuals into custody. Among those detained were well-known rights advocates Sheema Kirmani and Shahzadi Rai, according to organisers. The situation escalated quickly but was resolved within hours after Sindh Home Minister Ziaul Hasan Lanjar intervened. He directed police in Karachi’s South Zone to immediately release the activists, bringing the brief but dramatic episode to an end the same day. The detentions triggered sharp reaction from Aurat March Karachi. In a strongly worded statement posted on X, the group condemned the move as an attempt to silence dissent, declaring: “We will NOT back down from our politics, and we will continue to demand an NOC. Scare tactics to suppress dissent are shameful.” The activists assembled specifically to highlight what they described as an unexplained delay in obtaining official clearance for their annual march. Following their release, the group intensified its demands, calling on the Sindh government to publicly explain the reasons behind the arrests and the hold-up in granting permission. The entire episode