Police in Islamabad detained several Aurat March organizers and participants on Saturday as activists gathered near the National Press Club to mark International Women’s Day. The arrests took place shortly before the planned rally, according to organizers and rights groups.

Those detained were taken to a women police station, while fellow activists and lawyers waited outside seeking access to them.

Witnesses said women activists had assembled peacefully when police moved in and took several organizers into custody. The demonstration was part of the annual Aurat March, a nationwide gathering held each year around March 8 where women and gender-rights activists call for equality, safety, and social justice.

The arrests also triggered strong reactions on social media, where activists, journalists and members of civil society criticized the police action.

This really is too much. Arresting women who want to hold a peaceful march. Why are the authorities so scared ? What are they scared of? a few hundred women?
Aurat March activists detained by police in Islamabad ahead of International Women’s Day rally https://t.co/ekxFUMS73x

— Maleeha Lodhi (@LodhiMaleeha) March 8, 2026

Several users described the detentions as a “barbaric act” and questioned why peaceful demonstrators were being taken into custody on a day meant to recognize women’s rights.

A state that cannot tolerate a peaceful women’s protest in its own capital on Women’s Day has no moral authority to lecture anyone about women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Every year, Aurat March organisers show more courage than the system meant to protect them.@ICT_Police https://t.co/RZMoaE1EnU

— Absa Komal (@AbsaKomal) March 8, 2026

Many posts called for the immediate release of those detained, while others said preventing a peaceful gathering sends a troubling message about freedom of expression and the right to protest in the country.

More power to all the peaceful protesters who stood up for their voices and rights, even during the sacred month of Ramadan. ✊🏻✊🏻✊🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻

It’s disheartening to see citizens exercising their right to peaceful assembly met with arrests.

When peaceful protesters are detained, it… https://t.co/tm3SoNqZ9O pic.twitter.com/O3UcCh0kbN

— Shani (@FearlessWolfess) March 8, 2026

Women activists in front of press club Islamabad arrested without provocation on Int’l Women Day today and sent to women police station. We are at police station for over 2 hours wanting to see them but access is not allowed. Sad, unfortunate. Demand immediate release. @HRCP87

— Farhatullah Babar (@FarhatullahB) March 8, 2026

Organizers later said the detainees were held for several hours and that family members and lawyers were initially not allowed to meet them.

In a video message shared online, activists waiting outside the police station said they had been trying for more than two hours to gain access to those arrested.

In a video shared by Aurat March Islamabad, activists said the family members and lawyers of those arrested were not being allowed to meet them.https://t.co/ei6vU8fKdP

— Dawn.com (@dawn_com) March 8, 2026

The Aurat March Islamabad official account on social media urged participants to disperse and return home, saying the request was made to avoid further arrests and ensure everyone’s safety.

Immediate release of all the arreated organizers and participants.
For everyone’s safety, we request all participants to please disperse and return home to avoid further arrests.

— Aurat March Islamabad (@Aurat_marchisb) March 8, 2026

The Human Rights Commission (HRCP) of Pakistan also reacted strongly to the incident. In a statement, the organization demanded the immediate release of the detained activists and said that observing International Women’s Day is the legitimate right of women in the country.

HRCP described the arrests as an “oppressive measure” and said peaceful protest is a fundamental democratic right that must be respected by authorities.

The Aurat March began in 2018 and has since become one of Pakistan’s most visible grassroots movements advocating gender equality. Held in several major cities including Karachi, Lahore, and Islamabad, the march brings together women, transgender and other individuals who call attention to issues such as workplace harassment, domestic violence, and access to healthcare and education.