After another back-and-forth between the Lahore court’s refusal and then allowing the socio-political demonstration, this year’s Aurat March Lahore took place on February 12 -- Pakistan’s National Women’s Day -- as folks marched from the Press Club to the Faletti’s Hotel.

 

However, this was yet another year of backlash from naysayers who focused on placards against Pakistan’s fashion designer-turned-activist Maria B.

 

One of the targets following the march was Leena Ghani, an artist and women’s rights activist, after she reshared an X (formerly Twitter) post, which, alluding to the placards, claimed that Maria B was “harassed” at the Aurat March.

 

“🚨Maria B Harassed at Aurat March: A Call for Justice🚨It is highly concerning and disappointing that a Pakistani successful business woman symbol of woman empowerment , Maria B, was harassed and defamed at the Aurat March rally, and the posters slogan against @RealMariaButt @mishilicious was posted from Aurat March's official social media accounts also,” read one post on social media.

 

It went on to say it was shocking that under a female chief minister, and with a female police official in a position of authority, such “harassment of a woman occurs”.

 

“We demand that those who participated in this should be held accountable #دھندہ_ہے_پر_گندہ_ہے,” it added.

 

To this, Leena responded in her stories saying, “Oh NOOO! Poor bully Maria B, queens of hate-mongering, was harassed at Aurat March… because of a placard. Public accountability hits differently, huh? Thoughts and prayers.”

 

 

 

People on social media also reacted to the placards, some in support, while others harshly condemned it.

 

One woman wrote, “What is this logic? Is Maria B not a woman? If aurat March participants are advocating for our rights, so why this discrimination? In both rights and among women? [sic]”

 

A man suggested, “She should file a defamation case against the organisers of Aurat March.”

 

Another jumped in as saying, “This reveals a hidden agenda to not just hurt Pakistan’s social fabric but also target Pakistan’s major economic contributors so they can hurt Pakistan to get their way. Seems like they’re killing many birds with one stone.”

 

Several others shed light on the reasoning behind the anger against Maria B, reminding people of her dangerous activism that has put lives at stake in the name of religion and using advocacy for Palestinian rights to promote her fashion brand.

 

One user wrote, “And what maria b is doing for fame? [sic]”

 

Another added, “Loved every bit... religion sellers like maria b. Deserve every bit of it.”

 

One recalled, “she’s hardly a role model, i remember her sending her servant back to his village when he was suffering from covid. also while she talks about islam and culture .. she hardly practices it in her professional or personal life… she’s selling religion nothing else. [sic]”

 

Calling for equality across domestic, social, and political spheres, this year’s Aurat March was themed as a tribute to the founding members of the Women's Action Forum (WAF) Lahore, among whom are notable names like lawyer and activist Asma Jahangir, Madiha Gohar, Lala Rukh, and Farida Sher. These women played an instrumental role in the 1983 march when WAF and the Punjab Women Lawyers Association gathered on Mall Road in Lahore and marched towards the Lahore High Court to protest the discriminatory Law of Evidence and other Hudood Ordinances.

 

Maria B. under fire

In August 2024, Maria B was under fire after being accused of copying designs for her Palestine campaign.

 

The fashion designer launched a capsule line called the Falesteen Collection. The collection includes T-shirts, two-piece and three-piece lawn suits featuring prints of the black-and-white keffiyeh, colourful houndstooth patterns, and watermelon, symbolising Palestine’s resistance.

 

One of the designs featured a map of Palestine with a boy merged into the pattern, along with the Palestine flag wrapped in olive branches.

 

This design caught the attention of artist Leena Ghani, who noticed it was copied. She shared Maria B.’s campaign on her Instagram stories and tagged the page Palestine Quebec, which confirmed that Turkish artist Hacı Balina Atölye created the design.