Daily Times

Access to public space in our cities continues to be an uphill task for marginalised social segments. The problem is pervasive, and there is no city which can claim to be offer safe public spaces for women and transgender persons. Most recently, a women’s only bicycle race had to be cancelled in Peshawar after bigoted politicians from a variety of Islamist parties called protests against the event.

There were multiple failures at display. Firstly, the district and provincial authorities failed to ensure protection for the event even though the organisers, a non-government organisation that works for women’s rights, had already obtained a no-objection certificate. That the NoC had been issued suggests that the authorities were fully aware of the event. They should have taken proactive measures on finding out about the threats issued by Islamist parties. That the organisers resorted to cancelling the event is a failure on the part of the administration to perform their constitutionally mandated duties.

Another failure was that of the provincial department for promotion of sporting activities. It’s a pity that the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa directorate general of sports was quick to issue a statement to distance itself from the scheduled rally on finding out about Islamists protests. If the directorate had shown only a fraction of concern for its actual responsibility – promotion of sporting activities – there wouldn’t have been a need for an NGO to step forward because such rallies for women would have been organised by the directorate itself, and government bodies working under its authority.

Yet another failure in this instance is that of personnel and organisations who claim to uphold progressive values enshrined in Islamic scriptures. They’ve failed Pakistani women who continue to endure violence and discriminatory practices at the hands of bigots who take recourse to custom or religion when they’re really just exercising their patriarchal privilege.

On the bright side, many in the younger generation of Pakistani men and women have raised their voices, and tried to reclaim the public space from bigots for its equitable access to marginalised groups. There have been several initiatives led by young men and women across Pakisani cities in which conscious efforts have been made to reclaim public space. Girls at Dhabbas, Women Democratic Front, Feminist Collective, and Progressive Students Collective are just some major examples of groups that have foreground gender-based violence and discriminatory practices and opposed patriarchal social behaviors in their public activities. Most of these groups have emerged in the last decade or so, and include in overwhelming number young men and women in leadership roles. A unique aspect of these groups is that they are deeply political insofar as they challenge entrenched social and economic interests, and yet they are not under the influence of any mainstream political party. That can be a two-edged sword. On the one hand, it can enable these groups to continue their social activities in support of the objective of re-claiming public and private spaces for marginalised segments. On the other hand, it can also insulate these groups from one another and from the larger political dynamics which ultimately do have an impact on the wellbeing of all citizens. Take the case in point. With some coordination, these groups could have gotten into action on multiple fronts against the bigots opposing the bicycle rally. They could have announced counter-protests, and built pressure from below for state authorities to take their word as seriously as that of the bigots. We hope the groups mentioned here are already thinking along those lines to consolidate their gains.

Ultimately, the provision of safe access to public space for all citizens regardless of their gender identities is the responsibility of the governing authorities. The ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) has earned enough accolades over the years, and rightly so, for facilitating safe spaces for women at its public rallies. It has drawn the ire of religious bigots but that didn’t deter the party. Prime Minister Imran Khan must continue to walk the talk and take notice of the cancellation of the bicycle rally.  *

Published in Daily Times, January 19^th 2019.