Pakistan gears up for women's march amid row

A Pakistan court on Tuesday allowed women to take part in a march but cautioned that they should adhere to "decency and moral values".

It is called the "Aurat March" "Aurat" meaning women. The women have been calling others to join them on Women's Day on March 8 to raise their voice against rape and violence faced by women.

At the centre of the legal battle is the claim that the march is "unIslamic". A petition filed by the chairman of the judicial activism council Azhar Siddique claimed that there are anti-state parties funding the march with the sole purpose of spreading anarchy.

The Lahore district authorities have been instructed to speed things up and take a swift decision on an application seeking permission to hold the march while saying that the marchers should “refrain from hate speech and immorality”.

In a written response, the police had said that the march will be provided foolproof security and the government has promised to protect the participants.

According to reports, the local police told the court they would provide security but it was essential for organisers to prohibit participants from engaging in "controversial acts" while telling the court the event faced a threat from radical groups including Pakistani Taliban militants.