The Human Rights Commission of Pakistan (HRCP) has called out the daily Ummat newspaper for using "unethical and inappropriate language" against participants of the Aurat March, demanding that it publish an apology.
In its April 5 issue, Urdu-language daily Ummat published a front-page story, the headline of which stated that sexual violence was committed the most against women in 14 countries.
The shoulder of the story mentioned that these 14 countries included the US, Japan, Sweden, South Africa, India, Bangladesh and other African countries.
The following line read: "The sluts (randiyan) of Aurat March don't notice these non-Muslim countries."
The offensive line, which was apparently intended to highlight that Pakistan was not among the countries where rape and violence against women is most rife, was criticised by women's rights activists, journalists and social media users.
"HRCP condemns the use of unethical and inappropriate language against women in the daily #Ummat. The newspaper must publish an unconditional apology and refrain from using such language in future," a tweet by the commission said on Monday.
It said Ummat was also "orchestrating a vilification campaign against leading elderly writer Amar Jaleel. Such practices bring a bad name to the profession of journalism. The APNS and CPNE must take notice."
Aurat March has become an annual feature since 2018 and every year faces backlash from certain religio-political groups, who have been opposing the event.
The marches are organised in major cities to highlight issues faced by women and condemning incidents of violence against them as well as gender discrimination, economic exploitation and misogyny.
Following this year’s march on International Women’s Day, heated debates were once again seen on social media for and against the march.
Last month, a video from the demonstration held in Karachi was doctored to falsely show participants raising blasphemous slogans and widely shared online.
The organisers of Aurat March clarified that the participants of the march did not raise such slogans and their video was edited to defame their struggle.
People also mistook flags of the Women Democratic Front (WDF) at the Islamabad March for the French Tricolour after which the organisers issued a clarification.
After protests in the capital calling for registration of FIRs against organisers and participants of the Aurat March, Minister for Religious Affairs Noorul Haq Qadri had said that "controversial material" shared on social media concerning the march was being investigated.
Late in March, two local courts in Peshawar and Karachi ordered the registration of first information reports against Aurat March organisers.
