• The women’s rights activist group Aurat March, in collaboration with Women’s Action Forum, is slated to hold a march from the Press Club to Edgerton Road in Lahore on February 12. The specific timing of the march remains unannounced as of writing.
• This march is being held in observance of Pakistan’s National Women’s Day and aims to advocate for the cessation of alleged censorship, the use of surveillance technologies, and the amendment of repressive laws.

1. The anticipated participation in the scheduled protest march is expected to range in the mid-to-high dozens, given the broad appeal of the issue among women. The authorities confirmed the implementation of enhanced security measures along the march route to ensure the safety of participants and facilitate effective monitoring of the event. These measures are likely to include the deployment of additional police personnel, the establishment of barricades, and the imposition of temporary traffic regulations.
2. There exists an underlying risk of confrontations if Islamist groups, such as Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (F), organize counter-protests, given they have previously labeled such gatherings as ‘un-Islamic.’ In the event of unrest, the authorities are expected to employ crowd control measures, including the temporary detention of individuals. Localized disruptions to pedestrian and vehicular travel are anticipated along the protest march route and in the vicinity of the Lahore Press Club during the march hours.

Those operating or residing in Lahore on February 12 are advised to maintain vigilance near the aforementioned locations due to the slated protest march and corresponding security measures, while allotting for travel disruptions.