The Lahore High Court (LHC) ruled on Monday that a plea to prohibit this year's Aurat March was "inadmissible" and later dismissed it.
The court had reserved judgment on the plea seeking to halt the Aurat March event, which was scheduled for March 8 (Friday) this week.
Justice Shahid Karim of the LHC pronounced his ruling on the plea submitted by a citizen named Azam Butt. The petitioner had included Lahore Deputy Commissioner (DC) Rafia Hyder and others in his plea.
In his plea, Azam stated that "Aurat March cards and banners are not acceptable in an Islamic society." He urged the court to issue directives to halt the Aurat March this year.
On March 8, women all across the world celebrate International Women's Day, commemorating successes and discussing challenges that remain untouched.
This year's Women's Day theme is "Siyasat, Muzahamat aur Azadi" (Politics, Resistance, and Independence), which focuses on confronting electoral politics head-on and reinventing a kind of political engagement in which oppressed groups and marginalized communities take center stage.
Since 2018, women in Pakistan have organized major public rallies on Women's Day, known as the Aurat March. The opposition to the Aurat March has increased in proportion to its momentum and influence.
Last year, the district administration of Lahore refused the march organizers approval to conduct a public assembly.
However, following a legal dispute, DC Haider and Aurat March organizers mutually agreed on the schedule and site of last year's demonstration after the LHC required the two sides to finalize a march location.